As the preparations for this afternoon's or tonight's feasting swirl around us--whether we are the preparers or the casual observers--let us pause a moment to reflect on the festivities. There have been postings over the last few weeks (on Blogger and on TWV) that have been "all over the board" on what Thanksgiving means/should mean/has been corrupted into/etc. Folk have said (and excuse the paraphrasing) that this holiday is the "duty-bound" one to family and familial faith practices...that this is a non-pagan and therefore "put upon us" holiday. And, that sentiment truly bothers this little Lair mistress.
Perhaps, in some views, this is going to put me placed in the "fluffy bunny" category of us. I don't particularly care. IF one come to this day expecting to be put upon by one's family, one is comin to the holiday in the wrong mindset, in my mind.
Yes, this is not a full-out Pagan holiday. "They" did not re-envision it from the Old Times. "We" cannot claim it as lifted property. BUT....don't we all celebrate harvest festivals--regardless of our Paths? Is this not the season of the final harvests being brought in for canning/freezing/putting up? And, regardless of practice or system or Path, do we not all wish a bit of the home fires to warm us and welcome us?
SO, this day, as the turkey turns golden brown, the cranberry-apple chutneys bubble merrily, the stuffing/dressing firms and bakes, and the myriad accompaniments to this feast are created, take a moment to celebrate the connectedness we have rather than the separations we suffer. We might not be un-Broom closeted, but we can thank Her (in this season of thankfulness) for giving us this day of family and friends and feasting.
As the winter draws nigh...feel the warm, welcoming embrace of Her love....
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! Be safe, be happy, eat heartily, and celebrate with passion!
In the softness of the Moonlight...
26 November 2009
10 November 2009
Settling Down...
We're midway into the Celtic month of "Reed" or "Broom"--the shrub which symbolizes both the mysteries of death and the deep-set roots of life. And, indeed, this is a season--from Samhain to Yule--of recollection of the past and recognition of both one's mortality and the Veil between the worlds.
This is the time when the earth is drawing into itself...it's settling and "nesting" in preparation for the dormancy of winter. The Celtic tree symbolism of this month...this season...is likewise one of preparedness, for this is the month that Broom comes to harvest--the branches being fashioned into brooms.
This morning, through the mists rising ever so gently from the fields which surround me on my morning commute, the last vestiges of Autumn's glory were faintly visible--the dimming golds and russets of the leaves which still cling helplessly to their branches, the furry cows coming into their winter coats, the browning fields which once held such verdant life.
It's a time to pause...to reflect...to reconcile oneself to the quietness which enshrouds this season. Watch the final "V" of the geese as they wend their way southward. Study the foolhardiness of the last leaves as they valiantly cling to their twigs. Breathe in the crisp, smokey air as neighbors gather at the fireplace to ward off the chill of the evenings. Embrace the silence!
In the peacefulness of the Moonlight...
This is the time when the earth is drawing into itself...it's settling and "nesting" in preparation for the dormancy of winter. The Celtic tree symbolism of this month...this season...is likewise one of preparedness, for this is the month that Broom comes to harvest--the branches being fashioned into brooms.
This morning, through the mists rising ever so gently from the fields which surround me on my morning commute, the last vestiges of Autumn's glory were faintly visible--the dimming golds and russets of the leaves which still cling helplessly to their branches, the furry cows coming into their winter coats, the browning fields which once held such verdant life.
It's a time to pause...to reflect...to reconcile oneself to the quietness which enshrouds this season. Watch the final "V" of the geese as they wend their way southward. Study the foolhardiness of the last leaves as they valiantly cling to their twigs. Breathe in the crisp, smokey air as neighbors gather at the fireplace to ward off the chill of the evenings. Embrace the silence!
In the peacefulness of the Moonlight...
31 October 2009
Samhain 2009 (not your normal celebration)
GOOD SAMHAIN, ALL!
The Lair" mistress is not at home (house, room, whatever) this night...we're visiting family and are having a modified Sabbat this night once the children are in bed and the house we're staying in is "ours." We've the barest of essentials, a quiet spot, and a derth of trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood, so the night will be ours.
Today, we had intermittent showers...rather an ambiance-creator here. The leaves have blazened to their top Autumnal glory here in the upstate of SC--golds, canary yellows, russets, and the deepest of burgundies were all battling for prominence during the numerous leaf-storms the breezes created in between rainfalls. The air was chill today--a damp cold pervaded clothes, jackets, and skin. Tonight, all is quiet...the streets are sparkling in wetness, the fallen leaves are deadening footfalls without, and the soft glow of the lamps within have warmed the attitudes of wet, cold children and adults alike.
The worlds are in harmony--the "here" is open and the "beyond" is pleased. It's a good night.
I read a fellow blogger's experience while beginning this one--Albiana's post on "Flying off the Broom Handle" and it made me smile. Seems she had a "connection" which was completely random and surprisingly nice. How many of us who are mostly "broom-closeted" have had such a smile--a moment of understanding from someone we'd never expect because, either planned or not, we had some "emblem" of our belief on us--a pent', triskele, etc? And, how deeply and pleasantly does it affect us when that randomness happens--when someone "gets" us...not just "judges" or "stereotypes" us??
For me, that recognition of understanding...of connection...of respect for difference IS what Samhain is about--to an extend. It's a melding of the old and the new...a letting go of and an opening to that place in yourself that harbours doubt and fear and pain--and making room for the beauty and wonderment all around us. She releases us from our human frailties and welcomes us to deeper connection with Her tonight. The Old Ones are here, this very night, to help us to that embrace.
SO, good evening, my dear, dear Lair "regulars"....and, for those of you who've happened here unexpectedly, may the softness of the Moonlight, this night of all the others, embrace you with Her love and welcome! Good Samhain, all.....!
The Lair" mistress is not at home (house, room, whatever) this night...we're visiting family and are having a modified Sabbat this night once the children are in bed and the house we're staying in is "ours." We've the barest of essentials, a quiet spot, and a derth of trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood, so the night will be ours.
Today, we had intermittent showers...rather an ambiance-creator here. The leaves have blazened to their top Autumnal glory here in the upstate of SC--golds, canary yellows, russets, and the deepest of burgundies were all battling for prominence during the numerous leaf-storms the breezes created in between rainfalls. The air was chill today--a damp cold pervaded clothes, jackets, and skin. Tonight, all is quiet...the streets are sparkling in wetness, the fallen leaves are deadening footfalls without, and the soft glow of the lamps within have warmed the attitudes of wet, cold children and adults alike.
The worlds are in harmony--the "here" is open and the "beyond" is pleased. It's a good night.
I read a fellow blogger's experience while beginning this one--Albiana's post on "Flying off the Broom Handle" and it made me smile. Seems she had a "connection" which was completely random and surprisingly nice. How many of us who are mostly "broom-closeted" have had such a smile--a moment of understanding from someone we'd never expect because, either planned or not, we had some "emblem" of our belief on us--a pent', triskele, etc? And, how deeply and pleasantly does it affect us when that randomness happens--when someone "gets" us...not just "judges" or "stereotypes" us??
For me, that recognition of understanding...of connection...of respect for difference IS what Samhain is about--to an extend. It's a melding of the old and the new...a letting go of and an opening to that place in yourself that harbours doubt and fear and pain--and making room for the beauty and wonderment all around us. She releases us from our human frailties and welcomes us to deeper connection with Her tonight. The Old Ones are here, this very night, to help us to that embrace.
SO, good evening, my dear, dear Lair "regulars"....and, for those of you who've happened here unexpectedly, may the softness of the Moonlight, this night of all the others, embrace you with Her love and welcome! Good Samhain, all.....!
27 October 2009
Samhain Preparations...sort of...
Samhain at the Lair will be altered this year. Our altar is packed away 'til the house sells, our library is likewise boxed up and safely stowed in the storage unit, and our faerie circle (that they kindly let us use in the old backyard) is 15 hours away by car. Additionally, we're traveling to visit family on Friday, so we'll completely be out of even our new environment on Saturday night.
Facing the unfamiliar or the unknown, though, is what this particular Sabbat is all about. It is the one day in the Wheel that She asks us to face our fears, make peace with the past, and open to the possibilities that She offers to us. Doing so is, sometimes, much more frightening than any haunted house or slasher flick. It's facing the reality of "what is" rather than "how I wish it might have been"--it's quitting the second-guessing, self-doubt,and "what ifs" and opening to "just 'cause" being a viable answer. It's death and reconciliation and renewal. It's the reality of what our Path--regardless of focus--means.
There's been SO much change in our life this past Turning--a job change (and for my husband, a job stagnation as no one is currently hiring for full-time here in his area), a relocation, houselessness (though not "homelessness" as we have dear friends who've taken us in without hesitation)... Facing all of that and realizing that all was for a purpose...that, as one of my dearest friends keeps reminding me, "everything happens for a reason"...is a hard lesson. And, it's an ongoing lesson. On the day after Samhain,things are not going to magickally change or drastically improve. If I were to "encourage" such a change, goodness knows what harm I'd ultimately do!
Samhain is a powerful,relentless, and deeply personal Sabbat. It forces us to look within. It makes us acknowledge the darkness inside us and which surrounds us through the negativity of self-doubt and disappointment that is not seen for the educational opportunity offered. It's tough. And, it's exciting.
As the waxing Moonlight wraps us in Her embrace...
Facing the unfamiliar or the unknown, though, is what this particular Sabbat is all about. It is the one day in the Wheel that She asks us to face our fears, make peace with the past, and open to the possibilities that She offers to us. Doing so is, sometimes, much more frightening than any haunted house or slasher flick. It's facing the reality of "what is" rather than "how I wish it might have been"--it's quitting the second-guessing, self-doubt,and "what ifs" and opening to "just 'cause" being a viable answer. It's death and reconciliation and renewal. It's the reality of what our Path--regardless of focus--means.
There's been SO much change in our life this past Turning--a job change (and for my husband, a job stagnation as no one is currently hiring for full-time here in his area), a relocation, houselessness (though not "homelessness" as we have dear friends who've taken us in without hesitation)... Facing all of that and realizing that all was for a purpose...that, as one of my dearest friends keeps reminding me, "everything happens for a reason"...is a hard lesson. And, it's an ongoing lesson. On the day after Samhain,things are not going to magickally change or drastically improve. If I were to "encourage" such a change, goodness knows what harm I'd ultimately do!
Samhain is a powerful,relentless, and deeply personal Sabbat. It forces us to look within. It makes us acknowledge the darkness inside us and which surrounds us through the negativity of self-doubt and disappointment that is not seen for the educational opportunity offered. It's tough. And, it's exciting.
As the waxing Moonlight wraps us in Her embrace...
25 October 2009
Lifting the Veil...
Tonight, the Moon is half lit. I know this not because She is visible in Her maidenhood, but because the widget at the base of my blog tells me this. I cannot see Her soft beauty because there is yet another thunderstorm approaching. The growl of the thunder and the purply-blue lightning is approaching from the southwest. Earlier, the skies were enshrouded in a steely-grey.
It is apt that this is the weather for part of this week, for this is the week which leads to the thinning of the veil between the worlds for those on our Path. It is the week of Samhain--or Calan Gaeaf in the Welsh language--the festival of endings and beginnings. This is the day (Halloween and it's associated days for those of you unfamiliar with the other two terms) when our year ends and begins--it's not a day of time, but separate from time because of this. The veil between those who have passed over to the Summerlands...to that island of light and peace and healing...is thinnest and we can communicate.
Our world is resetting itself. The rains--the storms--are cleansing it tonight. They're making it ready for Her sleep and rebirth into the precious Maiden of spring. Perhaps they are preparing the world for our cleansing to our new concentrations given us through the wisdom of our elders on Samhain. We shall see.
As the storms come relentlessly closer, stay secure...
...in the Softness of Moonlight.
It is apt that this is the weather for part of this week, for this is the week which leads to the thinning of the veil between the worlds for those on our Path. It is the week of Samhain--or Calan Gaeaf in the Welsh language--the festival of endings and beginnings. This is the day (Halloween and it's associated days for those of you unfamiliar with the other two terms) when our year ends and begins--it's not a day of time, but separate from time because of this. The veil between those who have passed over to the Summerlands...to that island of light and peace and healing...is thinnest and we can communicate.
Our world is resetting itself. The rains--the storms--are cleansing it tonight. They're making it ready for Her sleep and rebirth into the precious Maiden of spring. Perhaps they are preparing the world for our cleansing to our new concentrations given us through the wisdom of our elders on Samhain. We shall see.
As the storms come relentlessly closer, stay secure...
...in the Softness of Moonlight.
15 October 2009
Blog Action Day 2009
"Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance" (http://blogactionday.org/). This year's topic is "Climate Change"...a topic one would think is singularly important for someone of my Path.
Guess what--it's not really that much in the forefront of my mind. I do hold that reducing greenhouse gasses is valuable to maintaining our planet and that recycling assists us in reducing our carbon footprint.
My dear friend's blog--"Heartsong's Hymnal"--states this apathy or antipathy best. "Scientists and environmentalists argue; politicians rail about emminent doom or scream that it's all for progress and for the best. Both the science and politics confound me. Since scientists haven't nailed it down completley yet, I don't feel too bad. " (http://heartsongshymnal.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-action-day-what-can-i-do-from.html)
I downsized my car...I reduced the mileage I rack up going to and from the campus...I live somewhat simply...BUT I don't walk as much as I could...I don't "buy local"...and I use needless electricity. I live, as we all do, as a contradition to myself.
Just a little thought...my "contribution" to today's cause.
Now back to the Lair's business...
Guess what--it's not really that much in the forefront of my mind. I do hold that reducing greenhouse gasses is valuable to maintaining our planet and that recycling assists us in reducing our carbon footprint.
My dear friend's blog--"Heartsong's Hymnal"--states this apathy or antipathy best. "Scientists and environmentalists argue; politicians rail about emminent doom or scream that it's all for progress and for the best. Both the science and politics confound me. Since scientists haven't nailed it down completley yet, I don't feel too bad. " (http://heartsongshymnal.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-action-day-what-can-i-do-from.html)
I downsized my car...I reduced the mileage I rack up going to and from the campus...I live somewhat simply...BUT I don't walk as much as I could...I don't "buy local"...and I use needless electricity. I live, as we all do, as a contradition to myself.
Just a little thought...my "contribution" to today's cause.
Now back to the Lair's business...
11 October 2009
Geese
The skies have been overcast and "threatening" for days, though since the rains of my last posting, there have been no storms. There's a chill breeze coming from the north that's convinced the leaves to start their final, glorious transformation. The quiet hush of Autumn is upon us finally.
Late this afternoon, as I was coming out of a local shop, I glanced skyward. Above me, in perfect formation, there was a "V" of geese flying south. Silhouetted against the varigated-grey sky, they were a black arrow pointing the way of the departing season. There was no sound (they were too high and too focused on their flight from the cold to the promise of warmth to call out) and no other bird in the air. Just the silent progression of this group on their annual pilgrimmage to their nesting grounds.
The silence of this season--the quiet preparations for the upcoming new year, the introspection as we take account of where we "were" and where we are wanting to go, the very season which is both beginning and ending--is sometimes deafening. We're encouraged to "reflect on the deeds of the past and prepare for the year to come" in hushed meditation.
If we quietly go about our preparations, we open to the sounds of the season...the hushed whisper of wing-flaps, the dry rustle of leaves as neighborhood children jump and giggle, the embracing crackle of a log fire on a chill evening. She grants us Her wisdom through these fleeting moments of peaceful reflection. All we have to be is silent and open to Her teachings.
All we have to do is follow the geese in the grey sky while a bracing breeze blows around us...
In the calm of the waning Moonlight...
Late this afternoon, as I was coming out of a local shop, I glanced skyward. Above me, in perfect formation, there was a "V" of geese flying south. Silhouetted against the varigated-grey sky, they were a black arrow pointing the way of the departing season. There was no sound (they were too high and too focused on their flight from the cold to the promise of warmth to call out) and no other bird in the air. Just the silent progression of this group on their annual pilgrimmage to their nesting grounds.
The silence of this season--the quiet preparations for the upcoming new year, the introspection as we take account of where we "were" and where we are wanting to go, the very season which is both beginning and ending--is sometimes deafening. We're encouraged to "reflect on the deeds of the past and prepare for the year to come" in hushed meditation.
If we quietly go about our preparations, we open to the sounds of the season...the hushed whisper of wing-flaps, the dry rustle of leaves as neighborhood children jump and giggle, the embracing crackle of a log fire on a chill evening. She grants us Her wisdom through these fleeting moments of peaceful reflection. All we have to be is silent and open to Her teachings.
All we have to do is follow the geese in the grey sky while a bracing breeze blows around us...
In the calm of the waning Moonlight...
06 October 2009
Thunderstorms
I always used to be fascinated--though frightened--by thunderstorms. Where I formerly lived in Kentucky as a teen and young adult, I could literally watch the storms roll in across the hills. Those were the big, angry, black clouds with sheet lightning embedded in them...with growling thunder shaking the very windows of my parents' house...with the curtains of rain shielding all from view. THOSE were thunderstorms!
Tonight, there's a thunderstorm brewing just off to the west. Though the growl of the thunder is a distant purr--which is, somehow, deeply comforting--the skies are illuminated with the most brilliant purply-blue flashes I've seen in a while. The winds, unlike my years in Kentucky, are not the threatening roar of an oncoming tornado; rather, they are the soft howl of the Banshee or the cry of the Lost Ones. It's a haunting sound, but one which, tonight, soothes my very depths.
It intrigues me how, tonight, Nature herself is tormented through this storm. It was a bad day at the Lair--some strikingly bad news (not the family or the pets, thankfully) came to us and threw us off-kilter. I sank into myself...this "threatening" storm has brought me back.
I'm reminded tonight, after all that's transpired today and with the storm literally "just around the corner", of a poem by Robert Frost. It seems fitting for tonight...
"Acquainted with the Night"
I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,
But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.
From New Hampshire (1923)
In the storm-shielded moonlight...
Tonight, there's a thunderstorm brewing just off to the west. Though the growl of the thunder is a distant purr--which is, somehow, deeply comforting--the skies are illuminated with the most brilliant purply-blue flashes I've seen in a while. The winds, unlike my years in Kentucky, are not the threatening roar of an oncoming tornado; rather, they are the soft howl of the Banshee or the cry of the Lost Ones. It's a haunting sound, but one which, tonight, soothes my very depths.
It intrigues me how, tonight, Nature herself is tormented through this storm. It was a bad day at the Lair--some strikingly bad news (not the family or the pets, thankfully) came to us and threw us off-kilter. I sank into myself...this "threatening" storm has brought me back.
I'm reminded tonight, after all that's transpired today and with the storm literally "just around the corner", of a poem by Robert Frost. It seems fitting for tonight...
"Acquainted with the Night"
I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.
I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.
I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,
But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.
From New Hampshire (1923)
In the storm-shielded moonlight...
05 October 2009
Full Moon Energies
I don't normally take this blog into a discussion of anything singularly "outside" the natural realm. This one is different--this one deals with the Moon energies. I've no idea if anyone else has felt Her fluctuations this past waxing cycle, but my energies have been decidedly "off."
A truly autumnal chill is in the air here in north Texas. The skies have turned a steely grey and there's a faintly discernable mist which bites at one's skin throughout the waking hours. The roads are sparkly-slick with the night showers. The clouds look "threatening" and angry. And, last night, the night of the Full Moon, all was overcast and darkened.
The "Blood Moon" it was--the moon associated with the late harvest and the livestock slaughter (in past times). According to my trusty "Witch's Datebook 2009" (Llewellen Publications), this is the moon when "the veil between the worlds is thin" (107) which, in my mind, explains some of the odd-to-"off" energies.
This has been a month of reversals. Events that were drawn close in the Waxing cycle actually retreated and in the "dormant" time of the Waning cycle, events are happening. Like I said, "off" energies. Reversals.
There are magickal explanations for this cyclical reversal...some will say it's due to Mercury being in retrograde, some that it's the "nesting" season of the year, some that the Wise One is slowing our earthly increase in Her late age for She is neither the eager Maiden or the abundant Mother now.
Whatever your personal explanation, the energies surrounding us in this season are awkward and discomforting. And, in that, it's reassuring to note that EVERY Blood Moon "pulls" this on we temporal dwellers.
In the chill moonlight...
A truly autumnal chill is in the air here in north Texas. The skies have turned a steely grey and there's a faintly discernable mist which bites at one's skin throughout the waking hours. The roads are sparkly-slick with the night showers. The clouds look "threatening" and angry. And, last night, the night of the Full Moon, all was overcast and darkened.
The "Blood Moon" it was--the moon associated with the late harvest and the livestock slaughter (in past times). According to my trusty "Witch's Datebook 2009" (Llewellen Publications), this is the moon when "the veil between the worlds is thin" (107) which, in my mind, explains some of the odd-to-"off" energies.
This has been a month of reversals. Events that were drawn close in the Waxing cycle actually retreated and in the "dormant" time of the Waning cycle, events are happening. Like I said, "off" energies. Reversals.
There are magickal explanations for this cyclical reversal...some will say it's due to Mercury being in retrograde, some that it's the "nesting" season of the year, some that the Wise One is slowing our earthly increase in Her late age for She is neither the eager Maiden or the abundant Mother now.
Whatever your personal explanation, the energies surrounding us in this season are awkward and discomforting. And, in that, it's reassuring to note that EVERY Blood Moon "pulls" this on we temporal dwellers.
In the chill moonlight...
20 September 2009
Brown Butterflies...
Today started off, well, off. It's the week of the Autumnn Equinox or, on my Path, the Feast of Avalon (rather a pretty moniker); there's a newly waxing moon; and the weather without is finally cooperating with a lovely, warming sunlight streaming unencumbered on this late September Sunday. My mood, though, is not as cooperative as Nature. I woke in a "mood"--snarly, grouchy, grumpy, and depressed...not a good state to embrace this season of change.
Then, I went downstairs to the kitchen and looked outside on the lovely, dewy morning. The yard (we're staying with friends while our house sells) is anchored by a cottonwood and a crepe myrtle. On the 'slab' (deck?), there sits a grill. ON the grill was the prettiest little golden-brown butterfly I'd ever seen. Now, I have a tendence to talk to the creatures of Nature, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, so I went outside to say "hello."
The little fellow was rather "tame" by butterfly standards. I approached it while speaking softly to it...complementing it on its velvety wings, on its diminutive legs, and on its furry little body. I reached out with one tentative finger and it climbed aboard. Thinking it desired to be moved to the flowers across the yard without expending its own energies, I carried it over and attempted to deposit it on a rather hospitable-looking flower. It would have none of the petals, but flew up and deposited itself squarely in the middle of my back and there it stayed for about two or three minutes.
I finally disengaged it from my blouse and placed it back on the lid of the grill, thanked it for the conversation and the company, and returned to the house. It stayed for a bit longer, then flitted off to the next needy human.
It's warming how a friendly little butterfly can readjust one's perspective.
In the warmth of the Moon's increase...
Then, I went downstairs to the kitchen and looked outside on the lovely, dewy morning. The yard (we're staying with friends while our house sells) is anchored by a cottonwood and a crepe myrtle. On the 'slab' (deck?), there sits a grill. ON the grill was the prettiest little golden-brown butterfly I'd ever seen. Now, I have a tendence to talk to the creatures of Nature, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, so I went outside to say "hello."
The little fellow was rather "tame" by butterfly standards. I approached it while speaking softly to it...complementing it on its velvety wings, on its diminutive legs, and on its furry little body. I reached out with one tentative finger and it climbed aboard. Thinking it desired to be moved to the flowers across the yard without expending its own energies, I carried it over and attempted to deposit it on a rather hospitable-looking flower. It would have none of the petals, but flew up and deposited itself squarely in the middle of my back and there it stayed for about two or three minutes.
I finally disengaged it from my blouse and placed it back on the lid of the grill, thanked it for the conversation and the company, and returned to the house. It stayed for a bit longer, then flitted off to the next needy human.
It's warming how a friendly little butterfly can readjust one's perspective.
In the warmth of the Moon's increase...
13 September 2009
Early Autumn Showers
It's been raining here for two days. The sky has been a steely-grey with billowy clouds of dove and gun-metal. There's a softness to the landscape...an ethereal quality to the very air. A hush pervades even the ever-flowing traffic--the soft "whoosh" of tires on the wet pavement is alluring in its whisper of progress. In the mornings and late into the evenings, a visible mist lingers over the manicured lawns and planned-chaos that many call gardens. My heart is quiet...I can feel Her wrap her protection around me through the veil of fog.
For those of you who wondered where I got to (Heartsong discovered my whereabouts), my husband and I moved from my beloved pecan groves of Georgia to the stately cottonwoods of Texas. I said my goodbyes in July--went to each of our papershell pecans and bid it farewell; caressed the grounds (and shed tears) on the resting spot of my beloved Scamp (there was a heart-shaped rock I took from atop his grave); packed our things in a Penske, our dogs in my car, our cats and turtles in the cab; and headed to north Texas and a new life. It's been tough--my hubby is still looking for work in his field, our house is still "in process" in Georgia, and we're living as best we can with friends who took us (and our pets) in out of love.
This weekend's rain has been Goddess-sent! She knows that the rains cleanse me of my worries...keep me at peace...re-energize me. I embrace them. The ceaseless pitter-pat of the drops on the pavement have been a lullaby every night (and this afternoon). The ponderous glowery sky has given me time to stop and re-evaluate the world as it is rather than how I wish it were--and it is good, proper, and just. Situations may be untowards at present, but it's the fault of wanting not in sync with Nature's reality.
Many of us are in this same "fix" at present. Let the rains come...embrace them for their healing and their support. Let Her shine her moonlight on the worries we have...and let us see that new dimension the moon gives them.
In the beauteous misty moonlight...
Blessed Be!
For those of you who wondered where I got to (Heartsong discovered my whereabouts), my husband and I moved from my beloved pecan groves of Georgia to the stately cottonwoods of Texas. I said my goodbyes in July--went to each of our papershell pecans and bid it farewell; caressed the grounds (and shed tears) on the resting spot of my beloved Scamp (there was a heart-shaped rock I took from atop his grave); packed our things in a Penske, our dogs in my car, our cats and turtles in the cab; and headed to north Texas and a new life. It's been tough--my hubby is still looking for work in his field, our house is still "in process" in Georgia, and we're living as best we can with friends who took us (and our pets) in out of love.
This weekend's rain has been Goddess-sent! She knows that the rains cleanse me of my worries...keep me at peace...re-energize me. I embrace them. The ceaseless pitter-pat of the drops on the pavement have been a lullaby every night (and this afternoon). The ponderous glowery sky has given me time to stop and re-evaluate the world as it is rather than how I wish it were--and it is good, proper, and just. Situations may be untowards at present, but it's the fault of wanting not in sync with Nature's reality.
Many of us are in this same "fix" at present. Let the rains come...embrace them for their healing and their support. Let Her shine her moonlight on the worries we have...and let us see that new dimension the moon gives them.
In the beauteous misty moonlight...
Blessed Be!
25 March 2009
Spring in Chaos
The campus at which I teach is going through a major building project--an academic building is being constructed, a student center is being renovated and enlarged, and residence halls are being built. You might wonder, then, why I entitled this as I did. The second project mentioned (the student center) has caused massive changes to be made to the natural elements of the campus--the construction company found it necessary to "deconstruct" some 12-15 trees.
Let me backtrack a bit and explain that the campus is in a somewhat rural environment (albeit within the confines of a "city"). It sits on some 60+ acres...most of which are wooded. It's rather a lovely little campus...oaks, pecans, a beautiful magnolia, a pretty little koi pond complete with the "requisite" gazebo...
In the construction zone (and everywhere else on campus), the trees were just starting to come out in leaf--a soft, breathy-green mist had covered the dormant limbs. Birds were making final preparations for their coming hatchlings (the chirping in the mornings was nearly deafening) and squirrels were "feeling their oats"--giddly gliding from branch to branch happy to be alive and see the sun's return. Pleasing to me, the carpenter bees and bumblebees were back to their active and inquisitive selves.
And then the excavator came...
In a matter of three days, the grand oaks and our lovely little magnolia (all in "the zone") were reduced to matchsticks...the birds were evicted, their nests in shambles...the squirrels bounded for the woods. The bees are still around the koi pond, but even they are "clingy." One stayed near me as I discussed a piece of literature with my class out in the gazebo (pretty days = teaching outside as much as possible). He was an inquisitive little fellow...and very responsive to polite requests that he not do fly-bys in the gazebo (thus scaring my class).
My office looked out on that magnolia...I mourn her loss...she was absolutely lovely...I will miss her. At least I saw her before the excavator had it's way with her--I never saw her felled...I said goodbye and apologied for her demise. And then, I left my office for a while.
And now, the grey skies have replaced the clear, warming blue of Spring's return. Tonight, She will be weeping over "the zone" for those losses...and the rains will fall on my sweet little magnolia's branches and trunk...and on the oaks and palms and all the rest.
Sad...and probably avoidable...but the price of progress is cheap and transplanting is pricey. At least my little friendly bee isn't upset at us for what was done...he found a random wildflower today in the fringe of "the zone."
In the softness of the waning moonlight...
Let me backtrack a bit and explain that the campus is in a somewhat rural environment (albeit within the confines of a "city"). It sits on some 60+ acres...most of which are wooded. It's rather a lovely little campus...oaks, pecans, a beautiful magnolia, a pretty little koi pond complete with the "requisite" gazebo...
In the construction zone (and everywhere else on campus), the trees were just starting to come out in leaf--a soft, breathy-green mist had covered the dormant limbs. Birds were making final preparations for their coming hatchlings (the chirping in the mornings was nearly deafening) and squirrels were "feeling their oats"--giddly gliding from branch to branch happy to be alive and see the sun's return. Pleasing to me, the carpenter bees and bumblebees were back to their active and inquisitive selves.
And then the excavator came...
In a matter of three days, the grand oaks and our lovely little magnolia (all in "the zone") were reduced to matchsticks...the birds were evicted, their nests in shambles...the squirrels bounded for the woods. The bees are still around the koi pond, but even they are "clingy." One stayed near me as I discussed a piece of literature with my class out in the gazebo (pretty days = teaching outside as much as possible). He was an inquisitive little fellow...and very responsive to polite requests that he not do fly-bys in the gazebo (thus scaring my class).
My office looked out on that magnolia...I mourn her loss...she was absolutely lovely...I will miss her. At least I saw her before the excavator had it's way with her--I never saw her felled...I said goodbye and apologied for her demise. And then, I left my office for a while.
And now, the grey skies have replaced the clear, warming blue of Spring's return. Tonight, She will be weeping over "the zone" for those losses...and the rains will fall on my sweet little magnolia's branches and trunk...and on the oaks and palms and all the rest.
Sad...and probably avoidable...but the price of progress is cheap and transplanting is pricey. At least my little friendly bee isn't upset at us for what was done...he found a random wildflower today in the fringe of "the zone."
In the softness of the waning moonlight...
08 March 2009
Daylight Savings Cometh Early Once Again
I woke today to a "missing" hour of sleep...sort of. In all honesty, I stayed up last night to see what actually happens to one's cell phone and such during Daylight Savings night. Yup...I stayed up to see whether the clock would "jump" on my cell from 1:59am to 3am...and it did. Mystery solved. Anticlimactic, but still kinda fun.
So, this morning (sun up = morning...3am = dark), I woke at what my body registered as 8am and the clock registered as 9am. I went out to take the pups on their morning "business run"--and was astounded to see and hear all the critters and creatures in our yard and surrounding yards FULLY awake and playful. Usually on weekend mornings, the birds and squirrels who inhabit our little corner of Her world tend to be as slow in rising as the humans with whom they are neighbors. It's as if the world itself reset last night when all the clocks did.
And, with that observation, I'm launching into the "yay" portion of my blog for this episode. It's FINALLY sunny and warm rather consistently outside. I've caught sight of numerous nests being nurtured--our mother mockingbird is "on" more than "off" her nest...there is a pair of Carolina wrens who have re-downed their nest atop our front porch's roof post (I peeked in and there are three darling little eggs within...the CW mother was cautiously watching me from the other corner of the porch)...and the resident squirrels are spending more time in the hole in our pecan tree. The paperwhites are spent and the daffodils, carpet violets, and shamrocks in the yard are slowly coming into blooms of lavender, white, heliotrope (a cool color name!), and lemony-yellow. And the birds are launching a cacophony of song each morning.
She has returned in a quiet, soft, uber-feminine way. Even retail culture has noticed it--gone are the fluffy-warm sweaters and cordoroy slacks in the shops...come are the eye-popping Spring colors and thin fabrics in skirts and polos and tees. Open-toe weather is upon us...She likes the softening of our outlooks and our clothing. She beckons us to come outside--I'm taking my students into Her for lessons and lectures and just to get away from dreary spaces and fluorescent lighting.
Oestara is nearly here...Beltane's just around the corner...a full-moon is scheduled for Tuesday...it's a powerful and enticing and re-energizing time!
Welcome back, Dearest One! In the softness of moonlight and the warmth of Spring's arrival....Merry Meet, All!
So, this morning (sun up = morning...3am = dark), I woke at what my body registered as 8am and the clock registered as 9am. I went out to take the pups on their morning "business run"--and was astounded to see and hear all the critters and creatures in our yard and surrounding yards FULLY awake and playful. Usually on weekend mornings, the birds and squirrels who inhabit our little corner of Her world tend to be as slow in rising as the humans with whom they are neighbors. It's as if the world itself reset last night when all the clocks did.
And, with that observation, I'm launching into the "yay" portion of my blog for this episode. It's FINALLY sunny and warm rather consistently outside. I've caught sight of numerous nests being nurtured--our mother mockingbird is "on" more than "off" her nest...there is a pair of Carolina wrens who have re-downed their nest atop our front porch's roof post (I peeked in and there are three darling little eggs within...the CW mother was cautiously watching me from the other corner of the porch)...and the resident squirrels are spending more time in the hole in our pecan tree. The paperwhites are spent and the daffodils, carpet violets, and shamrocks in the yard are slowly coming into blooms of lavender, white, heliotrope (a cool color name!), and lemony-yellow. And the birds are launching a cacophony of song each morning.
She has returned in a quiet, soft, uber-feminine way. Even retail culture has noticed it--gone are the fluffy-warm sweaters and cordoroy slacks in the shops...come are the eye-popping Spring colors and thin fabrics in skirts and polos and tees. Open-toe weather is upon us...She likes the softening of our outlooks and our clothing. She beckons us to come outside--I'm taking my students into Her for lessons and lectures and just to get away from dreary spaces and fluorescent lighting.
Oestara is nearly here...Beltane's just around the corner...a full-moon is scheduled for Tuesday...it's a powerful and enticing and re-energizing time!
Welcome back, Dearest One! In the softness of moonlight and the warmth of Spring's arrival....Merry Meet, All!
14 February 2009
Valentine's Evening...
It's quiet here tonight. It's been a grey, drizzly day...the type of day that invites silent reflection or quiet study. I chose the former as my "daily grind" is made up of discussing what is studied by my students, though the latter happens frequently and willingly.
Today was Valentine's Day...a day set aside, it would seem, by corporate America (and it's not just America that does this) for lovers to celebrate their love. There is an expectation that, if one is in a relationship, roses and chocolate and dinner out will be the order of the day. And, if one is single, there is an underlying despair or despondency that "everyone has someone but me" or there is (in extreme circumstances) the feeling that this is a "dumb" or "lame" commercial love-in. Now, before I go further, let me establish that I really don't give a dither what others believe--what works for them in their situation is completely "right" for where they are in their lives or needs.
According to my trusty little Wicca Book of Days, today is a day set aside for followers of the Path (whichever one they choose) to "practice all forms of love magick and love divination" (Dunwich 20). It would seem, by this, that REGARDLESS of one's relationship status (or lack thereof), this is a day to celebrate an emotion...to remember, perhaps, that one is capable of feeling an emotion that's been locked up for whatever reason.
Our Lady, by whatever name we choose to call Her, invites us to feel...to experience an emotional embrace whenever we slip within Her moonlit presence...to awaken ourselves to the connectivity with others which can only be felt with the heart. We might be with the love of our life or completely alone, but She is always there...always shining down (even in the darkness of the New Moon).
So, tonight as you celebrate with your Valentine or curl up in a blanket and mope, at least take a moment to FEEL...to reconnect with yourself and with others (in your presence or otherwise)...to softly embrace Her and allow Her responding embrace to encircle you with calm and peace. Emotion...feeling....loving.......THAT is the truest magick around. In the peaceful embrace of moonlight, Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
**Dunwich, Gerina. The Wicca Book of Days. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1997.
Today was Valentine's Day...a day set aside, it would seem, by corporate America (and it's not just America that does this) for lovers to celebrate their love. There is an expectation that, if one is in a relationship, roses and chocolate and dinner out will be the order of the day. And, if one is single, there is an underlying despair or despondency that "everyone has someone but me" or there is (in extreme circumstances) the feeling that this is a "dumb" or "lame" commercial love-in. Now, before I go further, let me establish that I really don't give a dither what others believe--what works for them in their situation is completely "right" for where they are in their lives or needs.
According to my trusty little Wicca Book of Days, today is a day set aside for followers of the Path (whichever one they choose) to "practice all forms of love magick and love divination" (Dunwich 20). It would seem, by this, that REGARDLESS of one's relationship status (or lack thereof), this is a day to celebrate an emotion...to remember, perhaps, that one is capable of feeling an emotion that's been locked up for whatever reason.
Our Lady, by whatever name we choose to call Her, invites us to feel...to experience an emotional embrace whenever we slip within Her moonlit presence...to awaken ourselves to the connectivity with others which can only be felt with the heart. We might be with the love of our life or completely alone, but She is always there...always shining down (even in the darkness of the New Moon).
So, tonight as you celebrate with your Valentine or curl up in a blanket and mope, at least take a moment to FEEL...to reconnect with yourself and with others (in your presence or otherwise)...to softly embrace Her and allow Her responding embrace to encircle you with calm and peace. Emotion...feeling....loving.......THAT is the truest magick around. In the peaceful embrace of moonlight, Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
**Dunwich, Gerina. The Wicca Book of Days. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1997.
05 February 2009
Winter Reflections (1)
The air is chilly...the trees are trying valiantly to leaf through the coldness (they were confused by a warm spell a couple of weeks ago)...and the sky is robin's-egg-blue. The PERFECT weather, in my mind, for a little indulgence. Classical piano is playing on my NPR station, a hot cup of tea is before me, and I have a new novel (just started) on my desk.
Imbolc passed quietly. Kitchen witchery (baking) and a little rededication to my Path. You can "feel" the season creeping up...sneaking toward Her revelation of self. I saw a robin on Monday--the first one in the yard. The mother mockingbird in our shrubs out back is chattier when I'm outside--it's near her time to lay and her nest is ready. There is a family of squirrels that have started chattering and playing more in the pecans. The snowdrops have come and gone, the paperwhites are spent, and the daffodils are starting their play. There's "promise" in the breeze...of warmth, of sun, of Spring.
This "tentative" between-seasons time is so lovely. To be in step with Nature on Her journey...to journey with Her on her cycle of dormancy and re-emergence is thrilling. Such energy...such potential...such inspiration.
Blessed Be!
Imbolc passed quietly. Kitchen witchery (baking) and a little rededication to my Path. You can "feel" the season creeping up...sneaking toward Her revelation of self. I saw a robin on Monday--the first one in the yard. The mother mockingbird in our shrubs out back is chattier when I'm outside--it's near her time to lay and her nest is ready. There is a family of squirrels that have started chattering and playing more in the pecans. The snowdrops have come and gone, the paperwhites are spent, and the daffodils are starting their play. There's "promise" in the breeze...of warmth, of sun, of Spring.
This "tentative" between-seasons time is so lovely. To be in step with Nature on Her journey...to journey with Her on her cycle of dormancy and re-emergence is thrilling. Such energy...such potential...such inspiration.
Blessed Be!
01 January 2009
2009...New Beginnings
Looking up last night, the Waxing Cresent and Her companion star below were softly glowing through the haze of a misty midnight. As the calendrical year begins, She began her monthly return...
The silence of that moment...the beauty of the "otherworldly"aspect of the scene above me....the promise inherent in last night's celebrations and frivolity....all this interconnected in emotions kept in check by the place in which I found myself. I was outside (yay) in one of the quaintest downtown squares with the rush of midnight revelers passing me incessantly. It was chilly, sparkly, and beautiful. But, it wasn't the "appropriate" situation to do anything more than an internal "howdy" and "thank you" to the Maiden for returning on such a perfect night.
I don't wear my Path on the outside for all to see. I'm probably one of the more subtle and quiet witches you'll ever meet....'cause there are so many who make our Paths difficult by their actions or misunderstood by their preconceptions. Plus, my career makes it awkward to be an "in your face" practitioner.
But, last night, in the company of my darling husband and one of my best friends who is just starting on her Path as well, I felt a connectedness to Her. There was energy...there was welcome...there was Light. It was amazing and humbling and calming and empowering and all the rest.
It was a wonderful way to welcome 2009!
In that spirit, may we all be energized and warmed....and wrapped in the welcome of the softness of moonlight.
Blessed Be and Happy 2009!
The silence of that moment...the beauty of the "otherworldly"aspect of the scene above me....the promise inherent in last night's celebrations and frivolity....all this interconnected in emotions kept in check by the place in which I found myself. I was outside (yay) in one of the quaintest downtown squares with the rush of midnight revelers passing me incessantly. It was chilly, sparkly, and beautiful. But, it wasn't the "appropriate" situation to do anything more than an internal "howdy" and "thank you" to the Maiden for returning on such a perfect night.
I don't wear my Path on the outside for all to see. I'm probably one of the more subtle and quiet witches you'll ever meet....'cause there are so many who make our Paths difficult by their actions or misunderstood by their preconceptions. Plus, my career makes it awkward to be an "in your face" practitioner.
But, last night, in the company of my darling husband and one of my best friends who is just starting on her Path as well, I felt a connectedness to Her. There was energy...there was welcome...there was Light. It was amazing and humbling and calming and empowering and all the rest.
It was a wonderful way to welcome 2009!
In that spirit, may we all be energized and warmed....and wrapped in the welcome of the softness of moonlight.
Blessed Be and Happy 2009!
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