tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55828164373128430912024-03-05T02:05:00.203-08:00The Pagan LifeA guide to pagan family life and a story of our own family's journey.The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-85422475840132943822014-06-24T13:51:00.002-07:002014-06-24T13:51:44.029-07:00LithaLitha... or Summer Solstice... or Midsummer, depending one what you
want to call it, is a celebration on the longest day of the year.
Summer Solstice is one of the 4 minor sabbats and is a solar holiday, a
day we celebrate the sun. <br />
<br />On this day in Celtic mythology, the eternal battle between the Oak
King and the Holly King changes tide and the Holly King begins to grow
in power as the Oak King loses the battle (until Winter Solstice comes
around again). Alternatively, this is also a day that the we mourn the
Sun King as he is dying, to be reborn again at Yule. <br />
<br />
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In many religions and cultures, bonfires are lit on this
day to ward away evil spirits and bring luck and blessings for a good
harvest. Themes for the Summer Solstice include the sun, fire,
transformation, honoring the faerie folk in your gardens and land,
bountiful crops, and protection. Many pagans also use this holiday as a
day of rededication to their beliefs and their deities. <br />
</div>
<div>
Living in the desert, our family knows the sun very well.
In the mornings, it is very pleasant, providing a gentle warmth and
encouraging us to get outside and commune with nature. However, by noon,
the heat from the sun can be overwhelming, and if you're not careful,
can transform your garden into a dried up patch of dust.<br />
</div>
<div>
On the Summer Solstice, we celebrated this powerful King
of Summer. We pieced together a ritual, borrowing ideas from ourselves, <i>Garden Witchery</i> by Ellen Dugan, <i>A Year of Ritual</i> by Sandra Kynes,
and the Litha ritual from <a href="http://13moons.com/" target="_blank">13moons.com</a>.
Outside we created a circle of stones in the desert (which is our
backyard). <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjebFIY2WDB2xeUmW3_IiyL9SMWjbIJlbte9eZP5nYknp645pJMX-RGoS7qqMvmgwIKa41OS2v8Wf2rgPLjqKwOR3LGw_Tas_fHz-QABspB-F47Yxcje1_8ZyRdJas6BKxFp0Hc4xa1s/s1600/2014-06-24+13.49.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjebFIY2WDB2xeUmW3_IiyL9SMWjbIJlbte9eZP5nYknp645pJMX-RGoS7qqMvmgwIKa41OS2v8Wf2rgPLjqKwOR3LGw_Tas_fHz-QABspB-F47Yxcje1_8ZyRdJas6BKxFp0Hc4xa1s/s1600/2014-06-24+13.49.41.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tiny desert bundle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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As we sweated in the heat, we tried to light a <i>very</i> small
Solstice fire. Lighting a small fire in the desert is no small
feat. If you have never experienced it, another thing that is very
strong in the desert is the wind. We laughed as our tiny flames burned
out very quickly. We did get enough of a flame though to bless our
family dog (his collar actually, we did not put the actual dog through
the flames) and to burn pieces of paper with words of things that we'd
like to see transformed within ourselves for the coming year. We also
presented the garden faeries with a crystal offering to help our
struggling garden. <br />
</div>
<div>
I thought about it later and should have made our Solstice fire in our BBQ. BBQs are summer themed, right?</div>
<div>
<br />After
the boys had finished their part, I had wanted to take some time to
rededicate myself. Oh boy though, a mom asking her kids for 5 minutes to
herself just gets quickly carried away by the desert wind. It became 50
questions time; in and out of the house (Can I play Minecraft? Where's
Dad? So and so is doing this). I decided to scrap that part of the
ritual. Laughingly, I ended the ritual with my hands in the air saying,
"Well, I'm sorry. I tried." That night, as I watched the sun go down, I
was able to take a few minutes to myself and meditate. It was a lovely
experience. <br />
</div>
<div>
Sometimes the smaller gestures are the most powerful ones. <br /></div>
If
you decide to celebrate the Solstice with your family, make sure that
it's full of fun and celebration. Little Pagan Acorns has a neat collection of <a href="http://www.littlepaganacorns.com/litha-collection/" target="_blank">Litha coloring pages</a> Have a BBQ party, go swimming, garden,
play in the sprinkler, eat Popsicles. Most of all though, enjoy the
sun.The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-48523300132107843742013-08-02T14:00:00.003-07:002013-08-02T14:00:30.327-07:00PhoenixWell, well, well...<br />
<br />
It's been quite a while since I've written a post. We've had quite a bit of excitement around here. Baby boy #3 was born 8 weeks early and life has been a whirlwind of doctor's appointments, diapers, and sleepless nights. That's all expected with a new baby though and I wouldn't change it for anything. Especially since he's let me watch 6 seasons (so far) of Charmed on Netflix. The power of three!<br />
<br />
I never got to have my blessingway or baby shower. He decided to come the week before it was all scheduled. I kind of felt like I got gypped in a way. The one thing I really wanted (aside from a beautiful, healthy baby, of course) was a power necklace, full of beads empowered with positive thoughts from my friends and family, for me to wear during labor. I should have remembered that nothing usually goes as you want it to when it comes to having a baby. I <i>did</i> get a healthy baby though, who only had to stay in the NICU for 10 (veeerrrry long) days.<br />
<br />
My tradition of Greek God names for my family may have to be slightly broken for this little guy. I'll be referring to him as "Phoenix". That's his actual middle name and it fits him very well.<br />
<br />
A phoenix is a beautiful Greek mythological bird that lives for a very, very long time. It gets old, bursts into flame, and from the ashes of the bird is born again.<br />
<br />
In October I found out I was pregnant, on Samhain I had (what I thought was) a miscarriage. I won't go into the gory details, but it was to the point that my husband and I had a burial and a little ritual for our "lost" babe. Come to find out, at a confirmation ultrasound two weeks later, he was still alive and kickin'. Well, not kicking at that point since he was still a little blob, but he had a heartbeat that we hadn't seen in the previous ultrasound! We kind of felt like he rose from the ashes of my womb. <i>Then</i> he decided to make his entrance into the world early. He was expected to stay in the NICU for 2 months, but this little guy is a fighter and left the NICU after 10 days. I cried when I got the phone call to bring him home.<br />
<br />
He was so delicate and tiny when he came home, weighing in at 5 lbs, that we were afraid to do anything with him. <br />
<br />
He his now very active and we're not <i>as </i>worried about him. He finally smiled for us last week and his brothers love him to death.<br />
<br />
We will soon have a Wiccaning for him, but we need to get settled into our new home first.<br />
<br />
Check out my awesome babe... <br />
<br />
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Phoenix in the NICU hooked up with oxygen and an IV, 8 weeks before his due date: </div>
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<br /></div>
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My big 13lb, happy boy. 1 month after his actual due date.</div>
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The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-78582732435150492502013-03-25T13:37:00.000-07:002013-03-25T13:37:18.513-07:00Empowered<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Empowered! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I love most about kids, is watching them feel
empowered. Seeing my children do something on their own the first time and then
loudly proclaiming, “I CAN DO IT MYSELF!” is one of the most awesome experiences
of being a parent (or aunt, uncle, grandparent, teacher, guardian, etc.). I know that these children will grow up to be independent and
able to solve any problems put in front of them. All it takes is encouragement to keep trying and a reminder that they CAN do it by themselves.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another reason why it’s so exciting to see them feeling
empowered, is because I know the feeling! When I feel like I have accomplished
an event that took effort, whether it is physical or mental, I feel the rush of
self-pride. I want to share with everyone, “LOOK! I DID IT MYSELF!” just like a
kid. Adonis has even been there for several of these moments, including one
last night where I made my own toothpaste for us to use.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re having
trouble feeling self-empowered, you could try a few things (or you can try them with your children as well):</div>
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<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Clear and charge a citrine or amethyst gemstone with the
intention of assisting you in having more self-empowerment. </li>
<li>Clear your energy with sage, focusing on removing all doubts
within yourself. </li>
<li>Do a ritual with a red or yellow candle for courage. A
purple candle could be used for success. An indigo candle could be used to
remove fear. During the ritual, focus your energy on the task, let the Gods
know your intentions, and visualize yourself starting a task and following it
through to completion. Envision breaking through a brick wall or climbing a
tall mountain. The most important part of the visualization is to see yourself
celebrating your victory. If you feel moved, you could even get up and do a “happy
dance” around the circle. Throw some confetti for yourself. Then get out and accomplish what you want to do, no matter how hard it is. </li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-66342410950282114202013-03-25T11:07:00.002-07:002013-03-25T13:41:32.874-07:00FearI know I'm a little behind on the PBP. Life has been really crazy lately with sports starting up for the boys and the littlest boy on the way.<br />
<br />
With that being said, I'm starting with last week's letter, F.<br />
<br />
Fear.<br />
<br />
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<br />
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Fear is a powerful thing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fear of the unknown can stop forward progression through
life. For some it just stops you from completing goals, for others it is so
serious that they can’t leave their homes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fear can manifest itself in many ways such as your heart
beating faster, your palms sweating, your body shaking, or seeing big, black, evil creatures. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Didn’t see me going that direction did you? And just in case you're wondering, I'm not talking about schizophrenia. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During times of fear and stress, meditation becomes
difficult and at times I can “see” large black creatures trying to claw and
bite their way into my energy bubble. These can be scary and I’ve found myself
thinking, “Wow, my imagination is really running wild.” Occasionally I’ve
thought, “AH DEMONS!” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do I actually think they’re demons? No. Demons have a lot
better things to do then flail fruitlessly at my meditation energy bubble.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The more I meditate on them and what’s going on around me
though, I realize that it’s more likely a manifestation of the fear and anxiety
running rampant through my mind during the busy hours (and when I try to sleep). Bills, childbirth, our
house being robbed, work, moving, deciding where to send my youngest son to
school, custody issues, etc. can create a lot of anxiety and fear for the
future. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I try to hide that fear away and not deal with it, it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> manifest itself in other ways, like
a big, black, angry creature trying to claw its way to the forefront of my mind. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are times when I know I need to focus and actually
deal with that fear. I need to confront it instead of pushing it away or
worrying about it constantly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a tale that goes something like:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“A Native American chief was speaking to his grandson. He
said, ‘Inside me there is a white dog and a black dog and they are constantly
fighting one another. The black dog is mean, angry, and full of fear. The white
dog is good, kind, and full of happiness.’ The grandson asked, ‘Grandfather,
which dog wins?’ The grandfather replied, ‘The one I feed the most.’”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I acknowledge the black dog inside me, I need to stop
feeding it. I need to stop worrying about it and stressing about it. I need to
feed the white dog and come up with helpful resolutions and, if necessary, I
need to ask for help. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I start to meditate and feel the black creatures, I know
that I’ve given that fear too much power and have probably been trying to push
it away for too long. Most of the time, this requires after-action on my part.
This can be things like making a plan or even just telling someone else about
my fears. During meditation I can visualize my spirit animal (which is a panther) assisting the white dog in its fight. I could visualize power flowing into the white dog, making it grown larger and larger. I could also visualize trapping the black dog in a cone of energy and communicating with it, telling it that it will no longer have control over my life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I take charge of the black dog, the white dog has more
power in my life and starts winning the constant battle. </div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-74212626239897559002013-02-14T15:01:00.000-08:002013-02-15T07:05:33.553-08:00Different DirectionsSometimes going in different directions from the one you've set your
heart on is a tough adjustment to make. <br />
<br />
My recent experience with different directions:<br />
<br />
<h3>
It's a BOY! Again...</h3>
<br />
We have two boys already, so this makes number three for us.<br />
<br />
I know that in writing this post I will have some judgment cast, but it's something that a lot of mothers go through and it is rarely admitted. <br />
<br />
Adonis had already said that this would be our last baby and I must admit that I was crossing my fingers and toes extra hard for a
girl (even though I "knew" deep down, before the big ultrasound, that it was a boy). The picture in my head was to have a little goddess to follow in my footsteps, but the Lord and Lady had different plans for our family. We were thinking girl so much that we only had a name picked out for a little girl. I had dreams of sparkly shoes, tutus, and long wavy hair with bows.<br />
<br />
When I saw the little extra body part that meant it was a boy and not a girl, I felt the tears well up. I told myself to stop, I told myself it wasn't right to be upset enough to cry, but the pregnancy hormones took over and once I made it to the car I cried. I felt like an awful mother for being sad and for not rejoicing in the healthy gift of life that I was being given. There are many mothers who cannot have children and there are still more who become pregnant and lose there babies.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>How could I have sat there and been crying because I got another hot dog instead of a hamburger?</i> </span></h4>
<br />
I couldn't help it though; I can be a control freak and it's one of my vices that I work on. Major changes to my plans result in an emotional reaction sometimes and these darn hormones make it that much worse. It was not his extra body part that I was disappointed with and in actuality it had nothing to do with him at all. It was the expectations that I had unrealistically set myself up with and my own plans that had not materialized. Plans that I had absolutely no control over.<br />
<br />
Just to reiterate and make it clear: I was not at all unhappy about my new son's life. I
love him very much, sing and talk to him daily, meditate on connecting with him, and CANNOT wait to see him with my own eyes.<br />
<br />
It can take time to grab a hold
of that silver lining or to set foot on the new path you've been given.
Sometimes we set ourselves up for disappointment by hoping and wishing
on something that we have no control over. This is where we need to
remember to just let go and know that we are being put on a path for a
reason. <br />
<br />
My silver lining: It's another baby (*happy dance*), my due date was moved up to June 22nd from July 1st, he has the CUTEST little hands I've seen in an ultrasound, I've always been told that boys are easier to raise, we don't have to buy a lot of new clothes since we still have most of them from when Hermes was a little baby, Adonis said that we could maybe try again in the future, and I'm <i>still</i> the only queen of my castle.The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-84773427512037663782013-01-18T14:42:00.000-08:002013-01-18T15:47:01.538-08:00Brighid<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Time for week 3 of
the Pagan Blog Project! </div>
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<br /></div>
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Normally, I try to
come up with something slightly creative, but this week I’m pulling from the
list of suggestions. I’ve had a cold for the past week and that, combined with
being pregnant, makes me feel a little creatively stunted. </div>
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<br /></div>
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This week’s topic is
Imbolc under the name of Brighid! I was going to write a post on Imbolc soon,
so this was actually perfect timing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Imbolc is the next
Sabbat coming up.<br />
<br />
It's one of my favorites because it is also Groundhog's Day.<br />
<br /></div>
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Also called Brigid,
Brighid’s Day, St. Brigid’s Day, or Candlemas, Imbolc is about the halfway
point between the Winter and Spring Equinoxes (I did have to Google the proper
plural form of equinox). The word Imbolc comes from the Old Irish, "oimelc," which means "ewe's milk" or the word "imbolg," which means "in the belly". This is about the time of the year of lambing season. If I had ever been allowed to raise livestock like I wanted to growing up, I'd know that first hand. Alas, I have only read about it. Thanks, Mom! I'm still waiting for that horse too.<br />
<br />
In many areas of the Northern Hemisphere, the weather is still very
cold, which makes it a perfect time to celebrate this hearth Goddess.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As made obvious by its other names, this holiday is also a celebration of the Celtic Triple-Goddess, Brighid. The story goes that Dagda had three daughters, each named Brighid, and each daughter had a specialty. She is the goddess of poetry, which included spoken and written magick as well as prophecy; she is the goddess of the smith's and hearth's fires; and lastly, she is the goddess of water, which included healing properties and pregnancy.<br />
<br />
Those who celebrate Brighid may leave a piece of green cloth, as green is her cloak's color, on the mantle and hope that her touch imbues the cloth with healing powers as she passes by. <br />
<br />
Another tradition is to weave a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/119860230/hand-made-brigids-cross" target="_blank">Brigid's Cross</a>. Soon we will do this with our boys (using pipe cleaners) and I'll post some pictures of our efforts. A traditional cross is weaved with rushes that are pulled, not cut, from the ground and then hung from doorways and rafters to ward off fires and protect the home.<br />
<br />
This is a really short post about Brighid, but now I must curl up with some tea and attempt to get rid of this cough.There are many more things to write about Imbolc, which I will put more effort into in the coming weeks. <br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-4458640289959300942013-01-07T13:51:00.000-08:002013-01-08T16:40:54.776-08:00Ack! Another Religion in the House<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Multi-religion households
can have an interesting dynamic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
The biggest question
that I’ve seen regarding this topic is, “Which religion do we raise our kids
in?” It can be pretty intense when one side of the family is Catholic and
the other side is Protestant, but throw in a Pagan religion and you’ve got a
completely different point of view. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
As Wiccans, and most
Pagans really, we have the mindset that you should not force your beliefs or
religion on anyone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
If you’re not
supposed to force your religion on anyone, what do you do when others
are forcing theirs on your children? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
My husband and I are
Wiccan. My ex-husband is not really religious, but his parents are Catholic. My
niece and nephew, who live with us, are required to pray a specific prayer at
meals by their father. My niece has an interest in Wicca though. It can get
pretty interesting, especially at meal times. Confusing enough for you? It is for us sometimes too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
When my four-year-old
son is with his father (my ex-husband), my son sometimes goes to Catholic
church with his grandparents. Lately, he’s been coming home with questions
like, “Where is heaven?” and, “Did God make the baby in your tummy?” His
cousins also pray at dinner and he wanted to start as well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
At first, our plan
was not to expose him to any religion and let him come to it on his own when he
got older. With so many outside influences, we’ve come to this a lot sooner than
I’d planned. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Does it irk me that
his grandparents take him to church, even though my agreement with their son
was not to? Yes. Am I going to ban him from it? No. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
I could have taken
my ex to court, saying that he’s violating part of our joint custody agreement,
but I’m pretty sure that would have been over-the-top (in addition to being
costly). What I’ve decided to do instead, is to expose him to multiple
religions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
When he asks
questions about heaven, I explain that Papa and Grandma believe that heaven is
where God lives, but I also explain what Mommy and Step-dad believe. It may be
a little young for him to understand everything, but at least he knows that not
everyone believes the same thing and that’s ok.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
The first ritual we
ever did together was for <a href="http://thepaganlife.blogspot.com/2012/09/mabon-fun.html" target="_blank">Mabon</a>. He thought it was a lot of fun because it
included apples that we got to eat afterward, seeds that we got to plant, and a
little dance we did holding hands around the circle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
As for saying grace
before dinner, we made a little non-religion-specific poem that he could recite
about being thankful. He used it for a while, but eventually he decided that
getting down to eat was more important than saying something first. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Instead of looking
this situation as bitter lemons to be angrily smashed, I took it as a chance to
make lemonade. In the future, I think it will help him be more
open-minded with people and encourage him to explore as many options as he can.</div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-57529287175299894972013-01-04T13:54:00.000-08:002013-01-07T16:03:00.766-08:00Absent - Missing that Divine Connection<div>
<div>
Has there ever been a time in your life where you've felt <i>disconnected</i>?</div>
</div>
<br />
No
matter how hard you meditate, no matter how many times you pray or say a
blessing, no matter how elaborate or simple you make your ritual... you
feel nothing.<br />
<div>
<br />
It can leave you feeling very alone... and that's a sad feeling.</div>
<div>
<br />
No
worries though! Almost everyone goes through one or more of these times
in their life, when they can't feel a connection to the divine.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
You might find yourself asking, "Ok, but how do I get out of this funk?"</div>
<div>
<br />
The answer is not to push yourself harder. Obviously there is some sort of block.</div>
<div>
<br />
Maybe you have too much going on in your life to let yourself feel the energy around you.</div>
<div>
<br />
A few months ago, I was feeling this block. There was so
much going on at home and at work and I couldn't control it all. At the
same time I was attempting to honor the God and Goddess as well as
meditate. Nothing was coming through. I could not feel anything, not
even my spirit guide whom I've had a strong connection to for as long as
I can remember.</div>
<div>
<br />
I pushed and pushed and pushed. I told myself that I just
needed to try harder, but it was like running against a brick wall. I
was feeling disappointed and lost. Had I really lost my Gods? Had I lost
my ability to hear my guides? No, I really hadn't, but it was like I
was standing in the middle of busy Los Angeles traffic, while trying to
hear my guides and the Goddess and God, but screaming at the cars at the
same time. There's no way I'm going to feel anything other than
frustration.</div>
<div>
<br />
Eventually I realized that I had to let things go,
internally and externally. Once I realized that, things started
happening in my life to help me. Even though I loved having my nephew at
our home and trying to help him through a rough patch in his life, it
was better for our family that his mom decided to take him back to her
home. My pregnancy slowly got better. I also tried not to force myself
into elaborate rituals and honoring ceremonies to the God and Goddess. I
began again at the basics of meditation and honoring the divine. Slowly
things began opening up in my mind and I began to once again feel the
connection.</div>
<div>
<br />
If you ever feel like your in a place like this, take a
step back, even if it's for just five minutes. If you can, sit outside
and listen to nature or watch the clouds. Clear your mind of everything,
but again, don't force it. Acknowledge the thought or feeling and let
it pass, don't dwell on it. If you can't get outside, try taking time
before bed at night and sit with a candle. Just focus on your breathing
and the soft candlelight. Even if you're used to long meditation
sessions, starting over with little ones and increasing them can be
immensely helpful in centering yourself again and opening yourself up to
the divine.</div>
<br />
Reconnecting yourself is like cleaning out a cluttered
house. It's a big task and if you try to do it all at once, you're going
to get burnt out. Start in a small corner and clean there; Then slowly
make your little clean space a little bigger. <br />
<br />
Before you know it, your mental house will be clean and organized
again - plenty of room for inviting conversation with the divine. The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-79569566899757249342012-12-27T12:43:00.000-08:002013-01-07T16:03:27.297-08:00Green Man, Where art Thou? - Finding Your Patron God and Matron Goddess<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
When first entering
Pagan traditions, you’ll often hear of people honoring specific Gods and
Goddesses or even entire groups of Gods and Goddesses called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pantheons</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
If you have a
specific God, Goddess, or pantheon in mind – awesome! You’re ahead of the game.
Some people are already aligned with Gods and Goddesses who are the patron
saints of their life goals. Musicians may choose to worship Apollo, those who
have vowed to help women in childbirth may worship Brigid, and if you feel that
your life purpose is to maintain peace then perhaps you honor Baldur.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Gung ho new pagans
might feel like they<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> have</i> to choose a
set to worship, but if you have no one specific in mind then I say wait. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Feel the energy of
the God and Goddess (or many of them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wait for signs to pop up. Some people smell certain scents such as cinnamon
or roses when a God or Goddess is around. Some people see certain symbols or
animals more frequently like horses or ankhs when a God or Goddess is trying to
get their attention.<br />
<br />
Like many, I tried to force myself to honor a specific pantheon. The Norse Gods seemed pretty freakin' awesome, but then the Celtic Gods have cool names. None of them really felt like they <i>clicked</i> with me though.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
My first real experience
with a matron Goddess was with Athena. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
I first realized
that Athena was with me when I meditated and asked for guidance. I wanted to know
who my guides were in my life and following the advice of one of my favorite
bloggers, I <a href="http://sladeroberson.com/spirit-guides/spirit-guides-names.html" target="_blank">asked</a>.
In addition to two other guides that I’d known about for a long time, I was
surprised to feel the presence and “see” the name Athena in my mind. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
‘Cool!’ I thought. I
had heard of Athena, she’s a pretty popular Goddess after all, and I knew she
had something to do with wisdom. At the time I didn’t put much thought or
research into it. Shortly after that, I decided that it would be really cool to
start collecting owls; It was a random thought. I started seeing owls
everywhere. Knickknacks, on TV, in art… and then I researched Athena. It turned
out that Athena was frequently depicted with an owl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
My Goddess had found
me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
If you are looking
for yours, be open and don’t be afraid to ask the divine… </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
If you’ve already found
yours, don’t be afraid to share your story with others. Perhaps that other
person isn’t recognizing the signs in their life and your story will help them
to do so.</div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-12454995566132023932012-12-26T11:47:00.000-08:002013-01-08T16:42:01.425-08:00Deck the Halls - It's Time for Yule<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yuletide carols being
sung by the choir…</i></h3>
<h3>
<i> </i></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<h3>
</h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
<h3>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lighting the Yule log…</i></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
A lot of people
associate Yule as being synonymous with Christmas, but for Pagans, it’s its own
holiday. Christmas and Yule were actually merged together around 1000 A.D.
during the conversion of many Pagan people to Christianity. The reason for the
merging is actually that it was easier to convert the Pagans if the changes to their
holidays were not so drastic. Those that celebrate Christmas get
tree decorating, Yule logs, and wassailing/caroling from Pagan traditions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Yule is the day of
the Winter Solstice and this year it fell on December 21<sup>st</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the shortest day of the year, followed
by the longest night of the year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
To the Wiccans that
follow the Celtic legend, Yule is about celebrating the triumph of the Oak King
over the Holly King. The Oak King is the King of the Light. With his triumph
over the Holly King, the days become lighter as the sun shines more. Also, some
Wiccans celebrate Yule as the day the Sun King is reborn. There is not a battle
that goes on, but throughout the year the Sun King is born, grows, becomes the
maiden’s consort, grows old, and dies on Samhain, to be reborn again at the winter
solstice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
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</h3>
</div>
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
There are many ways
to celebrate Yule:</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
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</div>
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<i>Yule logs</i> are the
most common centerpiece in pagan tradition for Yule. Yule logs are
traditionally received as a gift or recycled from last year’s tree. As always,
different woods have different magical properties and many choose to select
their Yule log based on the type of tree it is cut from. Ours is always left
over from last year’s Christmas tree (we celebrate both holidays in our house).
Yule logs are decorated with holly, pinecones, mistletoe, dried cranberries,
ribbon, small cuttings of pine trees, and many other natural and season-themed
decorations. It is encouraged that you only decorate with things that have
fallen to the Earth, as it is a waste to take live cuttings from plants. The
Yule log can be left as a decoration or actually burned. Without a proper
fireplace or backyard in the past, we usually leave the Yule log as a
decoration and light a candle. This is done to welcome the return of the light
and to keep light during the longest night of the year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Rituals are a main
focus of the Yule time tradition. Whether yours is formal, informal, skyclad,
clothed, adults only, with the family, or even includes the pets… the general theme of
these rituals is to celebrate the abundance of life and light that surrounds
you. Altars can be decorated with the same decorations as the Yule log. Other decorations include cloved oranges and apples, pine boughts sprinkled with flower, and colored ribbon. Gems
and candles associated with this holiday are generally ones in colors of red,
green, white, and gold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the
ritual, a feast is held and includes beverages such as mulled wine and cider.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Yule is also the traditional
day for pagans to give gifts, instead of Christmas. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
This year, I was
told of a tradition similar to that of the Advent candles that I grew up with
in Christian church: Each of the four weeks preceding the solstice, a candle is
lit and an additional candle is added. By the solstice, there are four candles
burning and on solstice a fifth candle is lit. Each candle represents the
growing light that is coming and helps give power to the Oak/Sun King. I
thought that this was a really neat tradition and we just might borrow it next
year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
For this solstice,
we only had the youngest child and only on the night before Yule. That night we shared some
apple cider, read a story about the Holly and Oak Kings and then lit a candle
that burned until the morning of December 22<sup>nd</sup>. We also taught him a
little rhyme: </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sun shining bright,</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shortest day,</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Longest night. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Hopefully this very
brief overview of Yule was helpful.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
However you choose to celebrate Yule, I
hope that it is a merry and blessed day for you and your family. </h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Next Sabbat: Imbolc (February 2nd) </h4>
</div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-49750237952638029812012-12-21T13:31:00.000-08:002012-12-27T12:46:02.570-08:00Have a Blessed Yule!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-cUrv0mxaZtKnuCdEuYIMQsAOZeOv7KF7fmYJK8yAPNqRVwimQ85_-n0VuGMKKeOLrRfRHvtm8SEjOGsDNYFvR1F97vz9nOo9rNbiAFHtgulzRv68oTh85uLI8e1Pkp6Yh1OUFfPP2E/s1600/Winter+Solstice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-cUrv0mxaZtKnuCdEuYIMQsAOZeOv7KF7fmYJK8yAPNqRVwimQ85_-n0VuGMKKeOLrRfRHvtm8SEjOGsDNYFvR1F97vz9nOo9rNbiAFHtgulzRv68oTh85uLI8e1Pkp6Yh1OUFfPP2E/s400/Winter+Solstice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-23171221837511534092012-12-21T11:54:00.002-08:002012-12-21T11:54:39.810-08:00Zero Hour - 3 a.m.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I have Elton John’s
Rocket Man stuck in my head right now – and yes, I do know that the correct
lyrics describe zero hour as 9 a.m. Here on the west coast, the winter solstice
occurred at 3:12 a.m.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t really like
to get into the whole Mayan “end of the world” hype with people, but the other
day I had a light bulb moment. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As I’m writing this,
the end of the world should have already happened. I knew it wouldn’t, but my
light bulb moment didn’t involve zombies and earthquakes anyway. It involved a
connection with Yule and a new period for the Earth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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The Mayan “end of calendar” and Yule both coincided on 12/21/12. In some Pagan traditions,
Yule is the day when the Sun King is reborn or when the Oak King defeats the
Holly King. Both the Sun King and the Oak King are bringers of light. They
signify the light defeating the darkness, when the days become longer and the
nights become shorter. </div>
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<br /></div>
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What if… just what
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Even if it’s not
what it means and it really is just the way the <a href="http://www.history.com/news/ancient-maya-calendar-calculations-found-on-dwelling-walls" target="_blank">Mayan calendar was made</a>, it’s a
nice thought isn’t it? It would be nice to see a more “enlightened” masses
where the majority of people focus on helping each other and the Earth. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
That is my hope for
this year’s reign of the Sun God. </div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-52784169801224537122012-12-18T11:14:00.000-08:002013-01-07T16:05:16.864-08:00Pagan Baby on the Way!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTGRIjzuCz6sqIB2j7Md9Zhp1iLSrDhWKMsYY9QkAO3Z5JJ69-DteLjunGkwgfmqjP3vJ-c55QQLh3d_HKfZZ-GLUO6jkwAXv02T2IZbVcHv6xOnaEnG1o9_ENktygULllZWjBV8qIfg/s1600/2012-12-13_11-22-38_256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTGRIjzuCz6sqIB2j7Md9Zhp1iLSrDhWKMsYY9QkAO3Z5JJ69-DteLjunGkwgfmqjP3vJ-c55QQLh3d_HKfZZ-GLUO6jkwAXv02T2IZbVcHv6xOnaEnG1o9_ENktygULllZWjBV8qIfg/s320/2012-12-13_11-22-38_256.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A baby pagan will be
born July 1<sup>st</sup>! That’s right, we’re expecting. The hubby and I are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i> excited to be bringing our first
child together into this world. We both have sons from previous marriages, but
this one is made by both of us. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
This is also the
first child for both of us that will be raised with pagan values since birth. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
What is fun is that
there are so many interesting pagan traditions for pregnancy and birth.
Creating a birth altar, having a blessingway, burying your placenta under a
tree, or a naming ceremony are a few different ways to celebrate the new life
you are expecting. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><u>Birth Altar</u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Birth altars can be
created anywhere in the house. These can be especially helpful if you are
birthing at home. They can be your center or power, your visual reminder of
your goal, and your source of calm. Fill your birth altar with lots of baby
items, rattles, stuffed animals, ultrasound pictures, pictures of your family,
and baby-related stones and herbs. Meditating at your birth altar regularly
will make it a sacred place and a center of power. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><u>Blessingway</u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Blessingways are a
Native American tradition. They celebrate and honor the woman becoming a
mother. Similar to a baby shower, these are planned by someone close to the
mother. The planner typically invites other women who are close to or who have
been influential in the mother’s life. <a href="http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/blessingway.html">http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/blessingway.html</a>
has a lot of ideas for a blessingway. My favorites are: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span>Beads: Have each woman invited (and even those
too far away to attend) bring/send a bead for the mother. The beads should be specifically
picked out with the mother in mind. These beads are then strung into a necklace
or bracelet for the mother to wear during labor. These beads will be a reminder
of the support she has around her. They can empower her and give her strength and
peace. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hair brushing and feet washing: The group of
women brushes the mother’s hair and washes her feet in warm water. Who doesn’t
like having their hair brushed, right? It is soothing and a great bonding
activity. I also feel it’s symbolic of the gentle, nurturing ways of mothers. </li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
As I read the many
ideas for the blessingway, I got hormonally teary-eyed to think of the support
and caring these ideas would bring to a mother-to-be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<u><b>Placenta Burial</b></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Many cultures
utilize placenta burial such as the Maori of New Zealand, Indonesians, the Ibo
of Nigeria, and Samoans. Burying the placenta symbolizes the connection between
humans and the Earth. In Euro-pagan traditions, the placenta is buried under a
tree. Trees are sacred to pagans and in connection with the God and Goddess,
the symbology goes that a boy’s placenta is buried under a nut tree and a girl’s
under a fruit tree. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The placenta
nourishes the tree and helps it grow tall and strong. It is the hope that the
life of the child will also be strong and healthy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<u><b>Naming Ceremony</b></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
A naming ceremony is
a formal ritual in which you introduce your new child to the community and give
them their name. A naming ceremony is also called a Wiccaning or a saining. This
can be for their legal name, but you can also use it to give the child their
second or Wiccan name. Pagans and non-pagans alike can attend, but you may want
to give the non-pagans a heads-up if they don’t know what they’re in for.
Invoking spirits or saying blessings can be surprising to someone who has never
seen it done before. As with most rituals, it is preferable to do this outside,
but if you can’t then make sure you have enough space for everyone inside. At
the ceremony you can share the birth story, background of the name choosing,
and anything else meaningful about the child and your family. The parents can
also take this time to formally dedicate or bind themselves to the child as
well as name the guardians or god-parents of that child.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
I can’t wait to bond
with my baby and use these new (to us) traditions and ceremonies. For my son,
we had the traditional baby shower, but nothing that bonded me to my son like
these traditions would. This is yet another reason I’m drawn to Wicca – I have
never had the experience that celebrates and honors mothers like this. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-37075854049518583012012-12-18T09:48:00.002-08:002012-12-18T11:15:02.106-08:00We're Back!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I had
taken a hiatus from the internet for a while. There were many things going on,
which I suppose I should have written about. It might have helped. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
Since Samhain, we
have experienced our nephew moving out of our house and back in with his mother, finding out I am
pregnant, a “miscarriage”, my grandmother passing, finding out I’m still
pregnant, arguments with the exs (both my ex-husband and my hubby’s ex-wife),
and a few other crazy events. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
It has been a roller
coaster of emotion and I thank the Lord and Lady that our core
family is strong and healthy. I am <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i>
glad that I am still pregnant. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
I just wanted to
take a moment to bring myself back to the internet-world. Hello web!</div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-14889810754834522982012-10-30T09:32:00.002-07:002012-10-30T09:43:33.629-07:00Virtues - A Wiccan Perspective<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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A virtue is something morally or characteristically good
about someone. Virtues set the highest standard for how people should treat
each other, themselves, and the world around them. Many religions have virtues
even though they’re not all called the same thing. Christians go by Faith, Hope
and Love. Judaism has the Ten Commandments which include instructions forbidding
adultery, theft, murder, etc. Muslims use the Quran as their guidelines for
virtues by requiring morals such as righteousness, generosity, gratitude,
contentment, and humility.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As for Wiccans, it’s a little bit harder to pin down and
exact set of virtues that can be copied word for word. Doreen Valiente created
a poem called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Charge of the Goddess.</i> In
it, many Wiccans take the eight virtues of mirth, reverence, honor, humility,
strength, beauty, power and compassion and apply them to everyday life. Scott
Cunningham also created the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">13 Goals of a
Witch </i>which he published in his book <u>Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner</u>.
These goals can also be considered Wiccan virtues:</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Know
yourself</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Know
your Craft (Wicca)</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Learn</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Apply
knowledge with wisdom</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Achieve
balance</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keep
your words in good order</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keep
your thoughts in good order</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Celebrate
life</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Attune
with the cycles of the Earth</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Breathe
and eat correctly</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Exercise
the body</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meditate</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Honor
the Goddess and God</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With these two references, it is apparent that virtues across
all faiths are similar. Basically, treat each other, yourself, and the world around
you well so that things don’t fall into chaos. Remember the Gods and Goddesses and
keep a connection with the divine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Teaching virtues to children is important. In Bacchus and
Hestia’s last weekly lesson, they learned the Wiccan Rede and the 13 Goals of a
Witch. We went over each one and I asked them what they thought each one meant
and how it applied to their lives. They were also required to transcribe them
into their journals. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bill and Ted sum virtues up best at the end of their
adventure. So, in their style, remember:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7532GXPnO8" target="_blank">“Be excellent to each other. And… PARTY ON DUDES!”</a></h3>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-31497942556586910272012-10-24T10:41:00.001-07:002013-01-08T16:05:49.010-08:00The Wiccan Rede Broken Down<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>“An’ it harm none, do what ye will.”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Wiccan Rede. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the Oxford dictionary definition, rede means “<span class="definition">advice or counsel given by one person to another.” Some Wiccans
say that you must follow this rede to the letter, harming none ever. By definition
though, rede means advice. No one can truly harm <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">none.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="definition">When I taught the Rede to Bacchus and
Hestia, their first question was, “Harm none? How can you do that? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You</i></span> kill the ants in the house.” I
knew this would be their first question, because it was also mine when I heard
the Rede. I was surprised that they didn’t ask about harming animals and
plants in order to eat. Yes, by the way, I have been known to go on a rampage or two
against the house ants that keep finding various ways to infiltrate my pantry
and cupboards. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As Wiccans, we should strive to avoid harming others and
ourselves. This is especially true if we are following the “Three-fold Law” or “Law
of Return.” If we harm others, then whatever we send out we will get back
three-fold. I explained to Hestia and Bacchus that we should <i>try our best</i> to avoid causing harm to all others and ourselves. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Growing up, my teacher told me that she lets the spiders
stay in her house, but she warned the spiders that if they come down into her
space, she can’t guarantee their safety. That’s kind of how I feel toward our
house ants. I did warn them to not get in our food, but they chose to get into
many bags of food which I have had to throw away. If I had an effective way to deter them from coming inside, then I
would use it. You can’t save everything though and at some point you have to stick up
for yourself. As Wiccans we have to make a really good effort to harm none, but
if we’ve made our best effort and don’t have results, then we may have to harm
some. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It is your greatest intention to do good and that is what
really matters. </div>
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<br /></div>
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To explain what I really
mean, I made a little poem for the kids. Maybe one day I’ll illustrate it for them to make it more fun. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><i><b>Child’s Rede</b></i></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“An’ ye harm none, do what ye will.”</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Following this phrase can make you ill.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harm no others as best you can,</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to include no plant, beast, or man.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But to live you can’t ignore, </i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the food you eat, grown or bought from a store.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you like to eat veggies only</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or you eat beefy, noodly minestrone,</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">keep in mind the sacrifices that were made</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by the plants and animals whose lives they gave.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you accidentally step on a bug</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or break a plant from an accidental tug;</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s not the end of the world, accidents arise,</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but don’t do it on purpose, I advise.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Give your gratitude and remember</i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thanks-giving should not just be in November.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You will harm some, this is true,</i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but avoid harm if you can and blessings will come to you.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It's not the best poem I'll admit, but I felt it was really important to explain the Rede in words they would understand<i>. </i>I didn't want them going through life with major anxiety over accidentally stepping on a worm<i>,</i> but I do want them to understand that all life is precious. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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<br /></div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-56024006996294361512012-10-17T14:02:00.002-07:002012-10-22T15:34:09.510-07:00Understanding - Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Love, peace, and chicken grease.</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can’t have the first two without understanding… and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’ll</i> be having the third one for dinner
tonight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first words out of my nephew’s mouth when he learned
that my husband and I are Wiccan were, “Isn’t that a cult?” He had a lack of
understanding which was most likely formed by listening to someone else’s
opinion on the religion. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>Understanding. </b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s a big word with a lot of meaning. Many people go
through life <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thinking</i> they understand
a situation or relying on the “understanding” of others in order to form their
own opinions. Unfortunately, this can create misinformation, fear, and hate. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wicca is a subject that many people do not understand and
are frightened of as a result. My nephew calling Wicca a “cult” is a good
example of how many people feel; It’s a cult, it’s demon or devil worship, it’s
make-believe… but how many people with those opinions have taken the time to
really try to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">understand</i> Wicca?
Probably not many. </div>
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<br /></div>
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One of the biggest morals we try to instill in our children
is understanding. It doesn’t mean that they have to completely understand a
subject, but at least research it and try to see the subject from another’s
point of view. Wicca isn’t for everyone, neither is Christianity, nor even
chocolate (and no I still don’t understand that one). </div>
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<br /></div>
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Don’t make judgments about another person or their beliefs. Unless you have researched and experienced what they have, then you can never truly
understand. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It <u><i>is</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ok</i></u> to not
fully understand something. It is <u><i>not</i></u>
ok to judge or hate someone for something you don’t understand.</div>
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Bacchus received a lesson in understanding and is now very
interested in Wicca. He and Hestia constantly ask to learn more and Bacchus
proved my point when I told him that he should never make a statement unless he
has taken the time to learn and understand. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*sigh*</i>
If only he’d understand that homework is important as well. </div>
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<br /></div>
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For those of you who are new to Wicca or are just trying to
understand, please visit my page of what <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5582816437312843091#editor/target=page;pageID=8206565282318610370" target="_blank">Wicca is all about</a>. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Blessed Be. </div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-23620215940068642062012-10-10T12:14:00.000-07:002013-01-08T16:43:25.498-08:00Death and Rememberance - Samhain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
One of my favorite quotes on life and death is,<br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"[The Goddess] gives birth to
abundance. But as life is Her gift, She lends it with the promise of death.
This is not darkness and oblivion, but rest from the toils of physical
existence. It is human existence between incarnations."</i></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<i>-Scott Cunningham </i></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Pronounced “Sow-en”, Samhain is the pagan holiday which focuses on death. It
marks the witch’s New Year as the cycle of life and death is complete. This is
the Sabbat the Sun God dies, to eventually be reborn again to the Goddess at
Yule. It is celebrated beginning at sunset on October 31<sup>st</sup>, the same
day as Halloween. Samhain in Wiccan tradition, as well as many others, is the
day of the year when the veil between the world of the living and dead is the
thinnest. It is this day that spirits roam the Earth and visit loved ones. <br />
<br />
Death can be a hard concept to understand for children who’ve never known
anyone or anything who has died. Death can be hard to accept for those children
who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> known a loved one, including
pets, to pass away. The reason that Cunningham’s quote is one of my favorites
is because it shows that we should not fear death, nor should we be sad for
those who have passed on. They are at rest. <br />
<br />
This Samhain, we will perform a ritual after trick-or-treating which will
allow us to honor our loved ones who’ve passed on. <br />
<br />
A few years ago, Adonis’ mother passed away from breast cancer and everyone
is still grieving. The children were all very close to her and still make
drawings and prayers for her. This ritual can be another way of honoring her
memory. My own grandmother is close to moving toward her physical rest. She
recently found out that she has stage 4 lung cancer and I hope to be able to
honor her life on this Samhain, even if she has not yet passed. Her being in
the hospital so suddenly, with relatively no notice and such a short time to
live, reminds me how fragile life is and how unexpected death can be. <br />
<br />
Many cultures leave offerings of food, toys, or beverages for spirits
traveling through this world on Samhain. Our ritual that night will do the
same. We still care about the people and animals who have been a part of our
lives and so we will feed their spirits. A candle will be placed in the window
to help guide them if needed and an extra place at the table will be set if
they’d like to join us. Samhain is also a holiday of candy, being Halloween and
all. We will have the children leave a piece of collected candy at the altar to
share with the spirits and to sweeten the spirits’ journey. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our ritual will also include a chance to share
a person or pet they’d like to remember or honor and to say some things that
they remember or enjoyed. <br />
<br />
Life is celebrated as a gift and remembered on this special Sabbat.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Next Sabbat: <a href="http://thepaganlife.blogspot.com/2012/12/deck-halls-its-time-for-yule.html" target="_blank">Yule</a></b> The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-79920938624286618482012-10-09T11:52:00.003-07:002012-12-27T12:46:42.915-08:00Trick-or-Treat Traditions!This is my first blog post for the <a href="http://paganblogproject.com/" target="_blank">Pagan Blog Project</a> 2012. Everyone else is already on T, so that's where I'll start.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDglTL5WctaGHdsnMX0hRYQfATeBy1FDmHh9Qr6wRiNLFxemV3JSI9H4WrkcatcPIYW_juFiCdj7Z__mPwxnL3x98AYa1ToTiABXUhbGIUgd1V84pMACp5CmXyGIaL53w9Y1FbSnyGTqs/s1600/PA090012.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Halloween Decorations" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDglTL5WctaGHdsnMX0hRYQfATeBy1FDmHh9Qr6wRiNLFxemV3JSI9H4WrkcatcPIYW_juFiCdj7Z__mPwxnL3x98AYa1ToTiABXUhbGIUgd1V84pMACp5CmXyGIaL53w9Y1FbSnyGTqs/s320/PA090012.JPG" title="Halloween Decorations" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
T is perfect timing for upcoming Samhain or as my kids know it, Halloween.<br />
<br />
Up until now, October 31st has been, for our children, a day filled with transforming yourself (oh, another T!) into someone or something else and collecting as much candy as possible. They have no realization of the traditions our American version of Halloween was derived from.<br />
<br />
The American version of Halloween is a combination of traditions from Great Britain, Ireland, and Scotland. "Souling" was a common practice on Hallowmas in Great Britain and Ireland where children would go door to door, saying prayers and singing songs for the dead in exchange for food. Later, Scotland developed their own version in which children went "guising" and disguised themselves, going door-to-door with carved turnips for cakes, fruit, or money. Since pumpkins are more abundant in America, that tradition was also taken but modified to make our Jack-o-Lanterns. Houses are decorated in spooky ways to encourage a fright on Halloween night. We have had our Halloween decorations up since the last weekend of September. We get really excited about this holiday. <br />
<br />
Since we live in Southern California, we also see a lot of Mexican influence in the holiday. El D<span lang="es">í</span>a de los Muertos is November 1st. This is the Spanish holiday of honoring the dead. Traditionally, toys are bought for children who have passed and alcohol is bought for adults who have died. These offerings are left on altars which are erected throughout the cities. Calaveras, or skulls, are seen everywhere as this is the traditional symbol for the day. Little sugar-candy skulls are given to each other as gifts. <br />
<br />
In Wiccan tradition, this is the day that the God dies and we reflect on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Traditionally, food is left on the doorstep for spirits and a candle in the window to help guide them. The veil between worlds is also the thinnest on this night. This belief, which is not just a Wiccan theme is usually what prompts the stereotypical teenager to hold a "creepy" s<span class="st">é</span>ance or bust out the Ouija board. <br />
<br />
Halloween in France was relatively unknown until about 20 years ago. It was known as an American holiday and thus, rejected by many. As time goes on, the holiday is more widely accepted. People go to costume parties and trick-or-treating is done from store-to-store and not house-to-house. Germans hide the knives on this night so as to prevent returning spirits from harming the living. <br />
<br />
Learning about traditions around the world can not only open your mind, but also give you interesting new ways to celebrate Samhain with your family. The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-23225454261580650562012-10-02T18:05:00.004-07:002013-01-08T14:53:25.868-08:00Daily Meditation<div>
Daily meditation is not only relaxing, but it also helps with energy work and visualization. For some people it may seem boring (especially for some younger kids), but it is the most basic and most important exercise that anyone should practice when trying to open yourself up to the spiritual realm.<br />
<br />
When I first was drawn to Wicca and everything metaphysical, I had no guide. I bought books and dabbled in a few things. One of the books I bought was called Channeling. I thought it was so cool to think that I could be like one of the mediums on TV. As I sat in a chair, facing a sunny window, alone in our living room I asked that someone make contact with me and use me as a vessel. I felt pressure in my head, shoulders, and arms like someone was diving into my body. At that moment our cat hissed at me and ran away. It creeped me the heck out and since my concentration was broken, whoever was starting to come in went away again. <br />
<br />
I told my mom, who then told our family friend, Corinne. Corinne was into crystals and natural healing through herbs and meditation. Once she heard what had happened, boy did she let me have it. I got a lot of "what were you thinking?" and "that could have ended so badly." After the lecture, she gave me gifts. My younger sister was involved as well so that she wouldn't make the same mistake. The first gift she gave to me was a pendulum that she had made of aventurine and malachite. The second gift was a set of candle holders, one holder for each color of the rainbow. The third gift was a lesson on meditation.<br />
<br />
She told me that before <i>any</i> spiritual work, I need to learn how to shield myself. She explained chakras and how they work. This was her method: <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZSLELRMcFJYRufHAEZgL70SVX9xRcHdaNSB6OrKF3_zY2CHhevFdUdVgceIkeNXdriYFoB9ikfO31P2PWOPrKYLyVR9SAJsjhq3Cp4RUBZkISB0x7_3vvmODa7JjbjR5hI8A6YV29uE/s1600/PA020007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chakra candles" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZSLELRMcFJYRufHAEZgL70SVX9xRcHdaNSB6OrKF3_zY2CHhevFdUdVgceIkeNXdriYFoB9ikfO31P2PWOPrKYLyVR9SAJsjhq3Cp4RUBZkISB0x7_3vvmODa7JjbjR5hI8A6YV29uE/s320/PA020007.JPG" height="240" title="Chakra candles" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Imagine a glowing bubble of light. That glowing bubble surrounds all of your body. Visualize it, make it thick and strong. Eventually you can work to expand or contract it, but for now just see it. <br />
When you can see your bubble, put out the intention that only beings of light and love, for the best and highest purpose are allowed to enter. <br /> </li>
<li>Imagine a bright beam of light coming from the sky, entering through the top of your head, through your body, and going deep down into the Earth. Then imagine a bright beam of light coming up from the Earth, into your tailbone, through your body, up into the sky. Take a moment and feel centered and grounded. If you feel like you're dizzy or lost, try to strengthen your grounding connection with the Earth. <br /> </li>
<li>To clear any negative energy imagine a sieve lifting up through your bubble and body. Fling all of the negative energy out into the universe, but as it leaves your bubble visualize the black turning into pink or gold. Ask that it be turned into light and love to be used for the best and highest purpose.<br /> </li>
<li>When you are ready, break out the candleholder. Each color represents a chakra. Light each candle and visualize that glowing light spreading through your body. If you have trouble seeing the color spreading all the way through your fingers, toes, and top of your head then vizualize abright light shining through that chakra. I picture a pressure washer of light blasting away all of the black gunky negative tar.</li>
<ul>
<li>Red: The root chakra. Associated with feeling grounded and physical things. Picture red things such as rubies, roses, strawberries. The feeling of a hot fire or spicy hot sauce. </li>
<li>Orange: The sacral chakra. Associated with feelings and sexuality. Picture fresh oranges, a warm glowing fire, amber stones.</li>
<li>Yellow: The naval chakra. Associated with self-esteem. Picture dandelions, lemons, the sun. </li>
<li>Green: The heart chakra. Associated with love and kindness. Picture aventurine, cool grass, trees. </li>
<li>Blue: The throat chakra. Associated with communication. Picture lapis lazuli, the sound of the ocean, hyacinth, blue berries.</li>
<li>Indigo: The third eye chakra. Associated with visualization and intuition. Picture amethyst and eggplants. </li>
<li>Violet: The crown chakra. Associated with wisdom and a connection with the divine. This is normally represented by a lotus flower opening. <br /> </li>
</ul>
<li>The more you meditate, the easier and quicker it will be to open your chakras and put your shield up. This should be the basic protections put up before any spiritual work. When you are done meditating, thank any guides that helped you and make sure to close your chakras. </li>
</ul>
<br />
For the past few days, Bacchus and Hestia have been working on meditation. Since they are so interested in Wicca and ritual, I wanted them to have the most basic protection. I wanted them to learn it early on so that they don't make any mistakes like I did.<br />
<br />
I gave them my candle holder and the same lesson that was given to me. I also gave them their first pieces to their altar collection, a seashell to represent the Goddess. They have homework to meditate daily. It's not forced, but I reminded them that if they are to do this, it is a daily effort. Wicca is not something they choose to just fool around with every once in a while. They are free to choose whatever religion they'd like, so long as it doesn't harm anyone else or themselves. If they choose Wicca, then it is a commitment to learning and understanding. </div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-82716226740532360692012-10-01T11:45:00.001-07:002012-10-02T20:06:31.871-07:00Witch Bottles<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Traditional witch bottles date back to the late 16<sup>th</sup>
century in England and have also been found in the US. The Archaeology Institute
of America has an interesting article on a US version found in Pennsylvania
that dates back to ~1750 (<a href="http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/halloween/witch_bottle.html">http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/halloween/witch_bottle.html</a>).
Witch bottles were mainly used to protect witches against evil or negative
energy. Binding the bottles to the victim with urine, blood, or hair and filled
with rusty nails and other nasty things, the bottles were intended to reflect ill
intentions back onto the sender. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The witch bottles were a lot of fun to make and it helped the kids feel a
little safer after what happened <a href="http://thepaganlife.blogspot.com/2012/09/bandits-in-night.html" target="_blank">last week</a>. They feel like they are
taking charge of our safety. Our bottles are a little more friendly and instead are
intended to take the negative energy directed toward us and transform it into
good, sending it back out as positive energy. We also used apple cider vinegar
instead of urine, blood, or hair. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4XgollalF-09BipKNvwQSxHtNjInk27E6r4VYfYJstc4nKMUqxuzuu3Da_rAexVytQCafWijDVRjMh5rj9LsDUjXA1hLG4VDxrajlWxEMoCJ6dY7oGaGHMCezjuKxlUxQO5eR2H0jfQ/s1600/P9300003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Witch bottle supplies" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4XgollalF-09BipKNvwQSxHtNjInk27E6r4VYfYJstc4nKMUqxuzuu3Da_rAexVytQCafWijDVRjMh5rj9LsDUjXA1hLG4VDxrajlWxEMoCJ6dY7oGaGHMCezjuKxlUxQO5eR2H0jfQ/s320/P9300003.JPG" title="Witch bottle supplies" width="240" /></a></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b>Supplies: </b></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A glass jar with a lid or cork – traditionally witch
bottles are made from round glass jugs or jars. </li>
<li>Pins, needles, and/or nails a.k.a. “nasties” </li>
<li>Dirt from home</li>
<li>7 herbs of protection. We used:</li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Bay leaves</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dragonsblood</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Garlic</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Juniper (especially useful in protection against
thieves)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Mistletoe<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Rue</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Vervain<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Glitter (or something shiny like colored glass) </li>
<li>Tangled yarn or thread </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Salt </li>
<li>Apple cider vinegar </li>
<li>Red candle </li>
<li>Matches or a lighter </li>
</ul>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Construction:</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Note: Adult only steps are notated by “***”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We used old sauce jars, because that’s what we had
available.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** Place the nasties in the bottom of the jar.***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiJVUBuZfLk2qyh8VAtV5z6KDtDXRQEkdcL33lzWUkCLVf5wXzD_A5dkOS5gKmIKmf-3mq-VbJmyCOjGKfCfUWLfblRg7k3PGDQBq9SeHoC6NuHQHQHP5JQoLnEdd0jvL-okjqkVSgmY/s1600/P9300004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiJVUBuZfLk2qyh8VAtV5z6KDtDXRQEkdcL33lzWUkCLVf5wXzD_A5dkOS5gKmIKmf-3mq-VbJmyCOjGKfCfUWLfblRg7k3PGDQBq9SeHoC6NuHQHQHP5JQoLnEdd0jvL-okjqkVSgmY/s320/P9300004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pour enough dirt from the home to cover the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nasties, representing their burial. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQIzJJSQa0bjgjyRm2WuadM-s9TobBcywBsoQseFQqHMyAN2VVQxmxxq28ZNww6ZiS7604sy_hdIpJebiQrCTeT0N8mdfKKpUU2-ZjhUWuGyVZuqZhlv7rXGWF_srO8G569bpFIrF1Ys/s1600/P9300008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQIzJJSQa0bjgjyRm2WuadM-s9TobBcywBsoQseFQqHMyAN2VVQxmxxq28ZNww6ZiS7604sy_hdIpJebiQrCTeT0N8mdfKKpUU2-ZjhUWuGyVZuqZhlv7rXGWF_srO8G569bpFIrF1Ys/s320/P9300008.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Add in the seven protection herbs. 7 represents power and
protection so we chose 7 protection herbs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Add the salt for purification.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Add the glitter to transform the negative energy into
colorful positive energy and reflect the good back out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB3pKDUA-nrYErNE5ra6lLd8yyAYeYE0aW8PDOfF8e9o7Dx8Lw6MY_A3Izgha3IRoBV_99AH9Pl40rc4egH35V5Z44LB2YkKXKxx5Vw6Z_-RvzLn0htiggZSUsaef2hxtBus8hYxBzh8/s1600/P9300014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB3pKDUA-nrYErNE5ra6lLd8yyAYeYE0aW8PDOfF8e9o7Dx8Lw6MY_A3Izgha3IRoBV_99AH9Pl40rc4egH35V5Z44LB2YkKXKxx5Vw6Z_-RvzLn0htiggZSUsaef2hxtBus8hYxBzh8/s320/P9300014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Add in the tangled thread to confuse, trap, or trip the
negative energy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pour the apple cider vinegar (stinky!) over everything. This
drowns the buried negative energy and mixes all the herbs and glitter together. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTwnHObTGYyqkIoK_a0OV9jeR0ZS8acCATaDN4mCYqgOmUkaeDd-51JNcwU3syPrN4aYP_qAtIucJPSlYM5wGNnKdb68OQgA-6z6Oi02jJncoR6K14ufV5HUqdbP6b5Q6wG242G1vHUs/s1600/P9300016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTwnHObTGYyqkIoK_a0OV9jeR0ZS8acCATaDN4mCYqgOmUkaeDd-51JNcwU3syPrN4aYP_qAtIucJPSlYM5wGNnKdb68OQgA-6z6Oi02jJncoR6K14ufV5HUqdbP6b5Q6wG242G1vHUs/s320/P9300016.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***Light the red candle and seal the jars with the wax while
saying a spell.*** I had the kids each visualize and think good happy thoughts
while I said the spell and sealed the jars. They thought about thieves realizing
what they did wrong and thinking twice before they do it to someone else. They
thought about no one sending negative energy at us and transforming negative
energy into positive. They also thought about getting our things back. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As they visualized, I sealed and said:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Take these items,
herbs and spell</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Protect our house and
guard it well</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven herbs for protection
in the jar</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dirt over needles to
keep harm buried far</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tangled thread to
confuse and trap</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Glitter to reflect
only good back</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This protection bottle
bound to me</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guard from harm, so
mote it be.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hermes decided to really mix it all up by shaking his jar.
His idea was that it would allow the nasties to come in contact with all of the
good things so that they weren’t bad anymore. The rest of the kids wanted to
mix theirs too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREmw_XMFw60XnWWYVPz4YpAkVVJfjU41NkxtY781M6BJux4flDAw31slaJvALwk0b9zqHr_s1S9GbsiwAJ9_CYPDnZNNinPGZxUW0UuhNCsCOEBfHMe9_e-9pjPUbX-EmqPQTIZelwiU/s1600/P9300015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Completed witch bottles" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREmw_XMFw60XnWWYVPz4YpAkVVJfjU41NkxtY781M6BJux4flDAw31slaJvALwk0b9zqHr_s1S9GbsiwAJ9_CYPDnZNNinPGZxUW0UuhNCsCOEBfHMe9_e-9pjPUbX-EmqPQTIZelwiU/s320/P9300015.JPG" title="Completed witch bottles" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After it was all complete, I drew the rune of protection on
the lids and set them outside to be charged by the full moon light. I spent
some time meditating with the jars and visualized the moonlight pouring into
them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JtwFKDCSJuduYPabIO9hjy7v_a9uAtX7fu091yvRavcWvLXoKbzlthdY-NgmN2SQczgLixkSEqhjPSO63E0NU2PaUBFfsc6D-fTzK6dq3OOnMu_RnV1dKzidXyE9CeEzhyphenhyphenKbfphBa8w/s1600/P9300021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Witch bottles charging in the moonlight" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JtwFKDCSJuduYPabIO9hjy7v_a9uAtX7fu091yvRavcWvLXoKbzlthdY-NgmN2SQczgLixkSEqhjPSO63E0NU2PaUBFfsc6D-fTzK6dq3OOnMu_RnV1dKzidXyE9CeEzhyphenhyphenKbfphBa8w/s320/P9300021.JPG" title="Witch bottles charging in the moonlight" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the morning, we buried the five jars in the very corners of our
property and also under the window through which the burglars entered. We held hands and made a circle around the buried jar, asking the Goddess and God for blessings and protection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One last thing that I wanted the children to understand was
that making the witch bottles will help guard against negative energy, but
should not be our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i> line of
defense. Making sure the windows and doors are shut and locked is just as
important. We're also going to invest in a security system. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The witch bottles were a lot of fun to make and it helped the kids feel a little safer after what happened last week. They feel like they are taking charge of our safety.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-82183369416594419902012-09-28T14:30:00.003-07:002012-10-01T11:48:59.689-07:00Bandits in the Night<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Well, as Owen Wilson said in Starsky and Hutch, “We was
robbed. We was robbed.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All I could hear in my head was that quote when I was
surveying the damage caused by the people who broke into our house. I have this
odd malfunction in my brain that makes light of most situations. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At 6:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, I was awoken by Athena knocking on my
bedroom door. She frantically told me that we had been robbed. I ran downstairs to see that our living room TV, game systems,
video games, some movies, a laptop, her debit cards, and a few other things
were stolen. The kids were already awake and we looked at each other in disbelief. Athena, the only one of us living downstairs, was
the most upset because the thieves had actually gone into her bedroom to steal
things while she was asleep. They took things that were lying two feet from
her. While Athena and I waited for the police and Adonis to
arrive, the kids were sent upstairs to play.<br />
<br />
All in all, they took about $2500
worth of stuff and I was very glad that it was only “stuff” that was taken. They had come in through the window of our living room, which had been left open a crack so that we wouldn't have to run the A/C. Our living room is behind the fence on our property, so we thought we would be safe from would-be thieves if this one was opened. Unfortunately we were wrong. Our dog, Frosty, <i>had</i> started barking, but since this is an hourly occurrence I actually shushed him and went back to sleep (in the morning I did apologize and gave him lots of love).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HTFTOrfWJT4Es2YXZphS5uasZBbGaEWiCz3YqBADIpEeC6zqb-tvn7Gftu0sWIPf8BNgEHXzPSdgAWA1KsguzYzhh-P-CqgVnWvnrjOVDmfF8d5InLkaSEEzdAZ2ViwAMCc58tFPq2g/s1600/P9280016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Footprints from the Thieves" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HTFTOrfWJT4Es2YXZphS5uasZBbGaEWiCz3YqBADIpEeC6zqb-tvn7Gftu0sWIPf8BNgEHXzPSdgAWA1KsguzYzhh-P-CqgVnWvnrjOVDmfF8d5InLkaSEEzdAZ2ViwAMCc58tFPq2g/s320/P9280016.JPG" title="Footprints from the Thieves" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I started to think
about what would have happened if Athena, the kids, or the animals had been
hurt or taken. What would I have done if I had gone downstairs while the
thieves were there? The scenarios raced through my head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Would I have grabbed the sword from my closet and gone on a rampage, swinging and stabbing away? </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Would I have stood there and
screamed? </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Would I have done
what you only hear of the saintliest people and told them that I forgive them
because they obviously need the money from these things badly enough to risk
endangering themselves and my family? </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know that Athena and Adonis would have opted for rampage. I am a very non-confrontational person and most likely would have screamed for Adonis. I’m still shaking my head as I type at the fact
that this even happened to my family. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is going to be a lesson for everyone and is a great opportunity
to teach good values to the kids. We will reassert that not only does stealing hurt
people financially, but also emotionally. Not one of us feels
safe in the home anymore. We are also teaching the lesson of forgiveness and
understanding. Don’t get me wrong, I believe these people need to be brought to
justice because of what they did, but holding angry feelings toward the thieves
or wishing ill-will can undoubtedly bring more negativity upon a person.
Holding onto a lifetime of hate or anger will just breed more hate and anger. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the days and weeks to come, my family will take extra
precautions to ensure the safety of our family. Doors and windows will always
be locked now, instead of letting the cool night air flow through the house.
Lights will be left on at night. The electric bill will suffer because our home
was violated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to those physical things though, our family will take some extra
precautions using our pagan beliefs. <a href="http://thepaganlife.blogspot.com/2012/10/witch-bottles.html" target="_blank">Witch Bottles</a> are something we will construct with our kids over the coming weekend to help ward off any potential harm. They won’t be made to reflect harm back on those wishing us
harm. These Witch Bottles will be more focused on taking negative thoughts or energy directed
toward us and transforming them into positive energy.<br />
<br />
Some day we will all feel safe again. I just hope that it's sooner rather than later. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blessed be. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P.S. For those of you wondering which Starsky and Hutch
quote I was referring to: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3HMBjh8FZw&noredirect=1">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3HMBjh8FZw&noredirect=1</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s about 3:30 into the clip.</div>
The Pagan Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00523801054929214438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5582816437312843091.post-8522811990142361182012-09-23T17:55:00.003-07:002013-01-08T16:42:36.631-08:00Mabon Fun<div>
<br />
Yesterday was the autumn equinox, also known as Mabon. Often pronounced MAY-bawn, it is the Lesser Sabbat which celebrates the transformation of the Goddess from Mother to Crone and the preparation of the Horned God for his death and re-birth. This is a time for reflection on the blessings that we have had throughout the year.<br />
<br />
It was an educational day for the kids as we celebrated the second harvest and honored the changing of the seasons.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>The Celebration: </b></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
Mabon is a time of reflection for the family, and like a
mini-thanksgiving; a remembrance of all of the blessings that we are
grateful for. The Goddess and God bless us every day and taking time to celebrate these blessings is important. <br />
<br />
During the ritual we cut the apples in half, revealing the five-pointed star. With each half of the apple, we called the quarters while remembering our connectedness to all life.<br />
<br />
Potatoes, a symbol of the harvest and of fall, decorated the altar. Each of us held a potato and took turns thanking the Lord and Lady for the blessings that we have. At first my son Hermes couldn't think of any blessings, so we suggested some things like love of his family and food to fill his belly. He liked those and then surprised us by thinking of a few good ones of his own (toys, of course being one).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8zIxTfPGGkI3hwfOJkw-pqkJCl-VR0XQzB4ugNZVnUNE_4_vXDRxkPKFAkPugTRyAy_dwt8LPAFBfGkK6MiRH0pNgojilNHMATioOiId846Kf-8Q35SW6ddKaPL-Um49ZwugJcPryXM/s1600/2012-09-23_11-15-11_158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5-Pointed Star in Apple" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8zIxTfPGGkI3hwfOJkw-pqkJCl-VR0XQzB4ugNZVnUNE_4_vXDRxkPKFAkPugTRyAy_dwt8LPAFBfGkK6MiRH0pNgojilNHMATioOiId846Kf-8Q35SW6ddKaPL-Um49ZwugJcPryXM/s320/2012-09-23_11-15-11_158.jpg" height="320" title="5-Pointed Star in Apple" width="204" /></a></div>
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My favorite part of this ritual was giving each child a piece of apple and wishing, "May you never hunger," and then a sip of blackberry juice wishing, "May you never thirst." Thinking about their future and the happiness that you wish for them was an overwhelming feeling in my heart.<br />
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After these blessings we joined our hands in a circle and did a vine dance. The vine dance was a little hard for Hermes, since he is only 4, but he thought it was a lot of fun. Going around and around, weaving our feet back and forth, we created an imaginary vine on the ground while raising our energy. We grounded our energies again and bid farewell to the quarters and the Goddess and God.<br />
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Afterward, we shared the rest of the apples and juice.<br />
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<h3>
<b>Activities for Mabon:</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Harvest themed coloring sheets</li>
<li>Apple star stamp painting</li>
<li>Harvest vegetables or spend some time in the garden. (If you have a garden)</li>
<li>Plant vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, radishes (or other veggies that grow in your zone). </li>
<li>Make corn dollies</li>
<li>Make a dinner with your children that includes squash, potatoes, corn bread, and other fall fare. </li>
<li>Find a location to go berry or apple picking (if you, like us, aren't lucky enough to have some at your home).</li>
<li>Collect leaves, seedpods, or other plant materials which have fallen and create rubbings or glue them to paper. </li>
</ul>
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<b>Next Sabbat: <a href="http://thepaganlife.blogspot.com/2012/10/death-and-rememberance-samhain.html" target="_blank">Samhain</a></b> <b>(October 31st)</b><br />
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