G'day, my dear ones!
One may truly feel the Wheel turning today--the winds are brisk, the air is crisp and redolent with Autumnal scents of wet leaves and wood smoke, and the skies have turned grim. The trees, recently decked in verdant leaves, are shedding their finery and allowing their skeletal beauty to be fully displayed. Winter is fast approaching and, with it, the season of resting, reflection, and recharging. We may become self-absorbed or self-isolating, but 'tis merely a chance for the introspective self to strengthen and reawaken.
As with the critters without, we, too, are starting the comforting ritual of preparations for the coming "nesting" season. Kitchens are teeming with the scents of baking breads, warming soups, and roasting meats. Blankets and "throws" are being brought out of storage and tossed on sofas and chairs for easy access when the evenings are chilly. Handknits and jumpers have replaced tshirts and tank tops in closets and bureaus.
There's an anticipation in the air...in the crystal-blue skies...in the scents and sounds of preparation. Change is coming and change is here! Candles are lit for ritual AND for light...bonfires or firepits pop and crackle merrily in celebration as they warm and comfort...capes and cloaks and ritual garb comforts as much as it connects.
My dear visitors, what are WE embracing and altering in this Season of flux? Do we mourn the loss of the Sun or welcome the Darkness and all its potential? Will we hold fast to the past or look beyond to what we've learned and to what wonders are opened to us thanks to that very same past? Will we think ill of the brisk winds and chill rains and forthcoming snows or actively open to the cleansing they herald?
Change, my dear ones...change is what keeps our Paths vibrant and vital. Change is what allows us to delve ever deeper into Her mysteries. Change is life!
Embrace it...go out-of-doors and embrace the change!
In the darkness of the New Moon...
04 November 2013
28 October 2013
Gearing up for Samhain 2013
Greetings my darlings! 'Tis been quite a long while since the Lair was updated. My humblest and deepest apologies!
Whilst on social media this morning, I ran across an article posted by Llewellyn Publishing--Halloween promotes unfair portrayal of witches--and it got me to thinking. The author posits that the portrayal of witches during the secular holiday breeds negativity toward us. Insofar as the exaggerated image of a preconceived Crone is the dominant visualization, I would agree with the assertion. But, I believe the McCaskill misses a "teaching moment" that would turn that negative into a resounding step toward a revisualization for the masses.
It's true that we Followers of the Path and Dancers in the Moonlight are seen by the media and general public as something "dark," "evil," and oftimes "damned." But, what do we DO to change that conception? Do we talk openly or hide in the shadows and hope (hehe..."like Hell") that we don't get noticed? Do we live our lives IN society or perpetually separate and self-exclude? Are we Wiccans/Witches OF the world or IN the world?
Most of us--because of the very images by which McCaskill is offended--stay in our "broom closet" for fear of separation or exclusion. It's a self-fulfilling action. If we hide--TRULY hide--who we are, aren't we as guilty as the drug store decorations of perpetuating the negative stereotype by acting like our Path is something to be ashamed of or secreted away?
One of my dearest friends "broke" the unwritten/unspoken "code" and "outed" me to one of our mutual friends. She knew no better and meant absolutely no harm...and know what happened? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--either negative OR positive. It was a situationally-neutral action. Life kept on going...
Albeit I'm not advocating in ANY MANNER for any of us to shout to the highest hillocks that we are Pagan and Proud or any such nonsense--our families or careers may still dictate otherwise--I AM advocating adjusting the stereotypes by answering questions with candor and honesty. If something offends, educate. If someone asks, answer.
And make it a bit easier this Thursday to welcome and embrace the Old Ones as the Veil is lifted.
In the Softness of the Moonlight...
It's true that we Followers of the Path and Dancers in the Moonlight are seen by the media and general public as something "dark," "evil," and oftimes "damned." But, what do we DO to change that conception? Do we talk openly or hide in the shadows and hope (hehe..."like Hell") that we don't get noticed? Do we live our lives IN society or perpetually separate and self-exclude? Are we Wiccans/Witches OF the world or IN the world?
Most of us--because of the very images by which McCaskill is offended--stay in our "broom closet" for fear of separation or exclusion. It's a self-fulfilling action. If we hide--TRULY hide--who we are, aren't we as guilty as the drug store decorations of perpetuating the negative stereotype by acting like our Path is something to be ashamed of or secreted away?
One of my dearest friends "broke" the unwritten/unspoken "code" and "outed" me to one of our mutual friends. She knew no better and meant absolutely no harm...and know what happened? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--either negative OR positive. It was a situationally-neutral action. Life kept on going...
Albeit I'm not advocating in ANY MANNER for any of us to shout to the highest hillocks that we are Pagan and Proud or any such nonsense--our families or careers may still dictate otherwise--I AM advocating adjusting the stereotypes by answering questions with candor and honesty. If something offends, educate. If someone asks, answer.
And make it a bit easier this Thursday to welcome and embrace the Old Ones as the Veil is lifted.
In the Softness of the Moonlight...
31 May 2013
Late Spring's Magickal Offerings
Bright Blessings to you all, dear ones!
Did you sense it in the breeze today? The clear, clean scent of Spring's promise...the dewy offering of life and regeneration...the crisp embrace of the Season? Songbirds are softly chirruping their salute to Aurora. The cool air smells of rain. The leafed trees are sparkling against the steely-grey skies.
Rain. That life-giving offering is imminently approaching. Preliminary mists kiss the skin if you're out-of-doors. As "gloomy" as the profane world might see a day such as this, to the Lair, it's a day of heightened awareness...of activity...of celebration. The Gardens are beginning to produce--thanks to the rains. The Fig is quivering with new fruits--thanks to the rains. The darling Toads of the Pond are socializing during the day AND evening--thanks to the rains.
Embrace this day...this weather...this Season! We're less than a cycle from Midsummer's Eve and the festal celebration of Litha. The Fae are galavanting in the Gardens, meadows, and woodlands. The Elementals are at play in our nightly rituals and Sabbat/Esbat circles. Engage them all...celebrate with them...dance, twirl, jump about, and open to the promise!
Merely a gentle reminder, my dear ones, to focus not solely on the fundamentals, but on the FUN of this Season. We are celebratory Paths...so celebrate!
In the softness of the misty Moonlight...
Did you sense it in the breeze today? The clear, clean scent of Spring's promise...the dewy offering of life and regeneration...the crisp embrace of the Season? Songbirds are softly chirruping their salute to Aurora. The cool air smells of rain. The leafed trees are sparkling against the steely-grey skies.
Rain. That life-giving offering is imminently approaching. Preliminary mists kiss the skin if you're out-of-doors. As "gloomy" as the profane world might see a day such as this, to the Lair, it's a day of heightened awareness...of activity...of celebration. The Gardens are beginning to produce--thanks to the rains. The Fig is quivering with new fruits--thanks to the rains. The darling Toads of the Pond are socializing during the day AND evening--thanks to the rains.
Embrace this day...this weather...this Season! We're less than a cycle from Midsummer's Eve and the festal celebration of Litha. The Fae are galavanting in the Gardens, meadows, and woodlands. The Elementals are at play in our nightly rituals and Sabbat/Esbat circles. Engage them all...celebrate with them...dance, twirl, jump about, and open to the promise!
Merely a gentle reminder, my dear ones, to focus not solely on the fundamentals, but on the FUN of this Season. We are celebratory Paths...so celebrate!
In the softness of the misty Moonlight...
01 May 2013
Beltane 2013
'Tis Beltane! From here on, She blesses us with the riotous joy of Spring and early Summer--the cacophony of birdsong, trees vesting themselves in the verdant splendor of full-leaf, flowers of all kinds studding the landscape with celebratory colors. In the shadows, we may sight the Fae in their festal dances at the Gloaming. Early herbs and Garden delights begin to grace our Hearths and Tables.
Step outside--can't you feel it? The warmth of the Sun's embrace growing ever more lengthy and sustaining. The bracing texture of new grass as it tickles beneath your barefoot steps. The gentle kiss of the Spring breezes sensually stroking your cheek ever so softly. The chirrups of wild birds calling you ever onward to the world beyond the walls of your comforting home.
The 19th century poet--Willam Wordsworth--embraced Nature in this manner. His were poems which captured the essence of Nature and the Simple Life as indicative of the ideal state of Mankind. I'm reminded of his "Lines Composed in Early Spring" today:
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played:
Their thoughts I cannot measure,
But the least motion which they made,
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/296
Today--and throughout this season of mirth and merriment--embrace the hope and welcome which Spring and Nature offer you. Celebrate good...welcome change...embrace diversity. Plainly said, let Her wisdom penetrate your deepest recesses and allow you to open to the Thrill of Living!
In the softness of the Moonlight...
Step outside--can't you feel it? The warmth of the Sun's embrace growing ever more lengthy and sustaining. The bracing texture of new grass as it tickles beneath your barefoot steps. The gentle kiss of the Spring breezes sensually stroking your cheek ever so softly. The chirrups of wild birds calling you ever onward to the world beyond the walls of your comforting home.
The 19th century poet--Willam Wordsworth--embraced Nature in this manner. His were poems which captured the essence of Nature and the Simple Life as indicative of the ideal state of Mankind. I'm reminded of his "Lines Composed in Early Spring" today:
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played:
Their thoughts I cannot measure,
But the least motion which they made,
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/296
Today--and throughout this season of mirth and merriment--embrace the hope and welcome which Spring and Nature offer you. Celebrate good...welcome change...embrace diversity. Plainly said, let Her wisdom penetrate your deepest recesses and allow you to open to the Thrill of Living!
In the softness of the Moonlight...
02 January 2013
WELCOME 2013!
'Tis a new calendar year...
We've decked the halls, burned the Yule log, torn the wrapping paper from gifts, popped the Champagne, and cleaned up from the parties. So...now what?
My darling Lair companions, it's now time (as it always is) to celebrate the seasonal abundance of Winter! Look around you...
Here, at the Lair, the trees are brazenly exposing their architecturally minimalist natures, the Pond is glazed every morning with a thin layer of glassy ice, and the songbird are "decking the Gardens" with shades of charcoal and scarlet. We've been blessed with rains, snow, ice, AND bright winter sunshine within the past two weeks! The bracing winds and temperamental weather outside encourage us to "nest" and cuddle. It's a time of organization and introspection--of cleaning our environment of the "needless detritus collected and unused AND of cleaning our selves of those considerations that draw us from our "real" purpose and focus.
Rather than make resolutions, I encourage you to Refocus and Renew this season...to look within and find what needs Renovating...to Resuscitate your true self. Extract yourself from the negative energies--acknowledge their ability to teach and then embrace the positive motivation they give you to adapt and change.
Welcome to 2013, my dear ones...and to the softness of THIS year's Moonlight...
We've decked the halls, burned the Yule log, torn the wrapping paper from gifts, popped the Champagne, and cleaned up from the parties. So...now what?
My darling Lair companions, it's now time (as it always is) to celebrate the seasonal abundance of Winter! Look around you...
Here, at the Lair, the trees are brazenly exposing their architecturally minimalist natures, the Pond is glazed every morning with a thin layer of glassy ice, and the songbird are "decking the Gardens" with shades of charcoal and scarlet. We've been blessed with rains, snow, ice, AND bright winter sunshine within the past two weeks! The bracing winds and temperamental weather outside encourage us to "nest" and cuddle. It's a time of organization and introspection--of cleaning our environment of the "needless detritus collected and unused AND of cleaning our selves of those considerations that draw us from our "real" purpose and focus.
Rather than make resolutions, I encourage you to Refocus and Renew this season...to look within and find what needs Renovating...to Resuscitate your true self. Extract yourself from the negative energies--acknowledge their ability to teach and then embrace the positive motivation they give you to adapt and change.
Welcome to 2013, my dear ones...and to the softness of THIS year's Moonlight...
31 October 2012
In Dark Silence come Whisperings of New Beginnings...
Blessed Samhain to you all, my dear Lair guests! It's been many a Moon since I attended you all. For that, I beg your forgiveness.
Tonight, when the sun sinks low in the Western sky and the light softens to a violet, our celebrations and observances of the Dark Half begin. Hearth fires will be extinguished and new fire will be kindled. Many of us will dance 'round the bonfires (for the dwellers at the Lair, it's a firepit) as we commune with the Spirits. Within the "death" honored tonight is also the promise of renewal.
The veil is thinnest tonight--our ancestors return to impart their Wisdom to us as seed is spread prior to germinating. The planting commences for them...but will be reap a Harvest of knowledge or insight? 'Tis ours to tend, to nurture, and to gather.
Listen intently...let your focus soften and your awareness sharpen. Do you hear them? Do you feel the soft breeze of their whisper at your ear? Do you feel the draw?
Blessed Samhain, my friends. Bright blessings to you all!
In the softness of the Moonlight...
Tonight, when the sun sinks low in the Western sky and the light softens to a violet, our celebrations and observances of the Dark Half begin. Hearth fires will be extinguished and new fire will be kindled. Many of us will dance 'round the bonfires (for the dwellers at the Lair, it's a firepit) as we commune with the Spirits. Within the "death" honored tonight is also the promise of renewal.
The veil is thinnest tonight--our ancestors return to impart their Wisdom to us as seed is spread prior to germinating. The planting commences for them...but will be reap a Harvest of knowledge or insight? 'Tis ours to tend, to nurture, and to gather.
Listen intently...let your focus soften and your awareness sharpen. Do you hear them? Do you feel the soft breeze of their whisper at your ear? Do you feel the draw?
Blessed Samhain, my friends. Bright blessings to you all!
In the softness of the Moonlight...
06 March 2012
The Crow Moon Cometh
Changes come and we in the Pagan community tend to look for signs--harbingers--that herald the alterations in our lives. Invariably, the "new" is questioned, weighed, and then we look to see if {DRUMROLL} "Mercury is in retrograde."
Does this sound familiar, my darling Lair residents? Do we question "where" change came from or do we {GASP} embrace it regardless of its origins and make the best of our situation? Do we focus on what was or what might become? Do we doubt or welcome?
The Crow Moon, according to my new little MoonPhase app, is the Northern Tribes' name for the full moon which will take place on March 8th (or thereabouts). Though it goes by other names, this moniker designated, to the Old Ones, that the crow was taking flight to be replaced by the robin. It's a Moon of balance...of growth...of renewal and change. It's to be embraced. It heralds the season of Ostara and the coming of our celebration OF Ostara. Spring is change...it is balance...it is life.
So, my darling ones, embrace the new surrounding you...live in the moment...and know that She will not abandon you. She, too, is finding Her new, invigorated form as Maiden, full of hope and life and renewal.
In the softness of the Moonlight...
Does this sound familiar, my darling Lair residents? Do we question "where" change came from or do we {GASP} embrace it regardless of its origins and make the best of our situation? Do we focus on what was or what might become? Do we doubt or welcome?
The Crow Moon, according to my new little MoonPhase app, is the Northern Tribes' name for the full moon which will take place on March 8th (or thereabouts). Though it goes by other names, this moniker designated, to the Old Ones, that the crow was taking flight to be replaced by the robin. It's a Moon of balance...of growth...of renewal and change. It's to be embraced. It heralds the season of Ostara and the coming of our celebration OF Ostara. Spring is change...it is balance...it is life.
So, my darling ones, embrace the new surrounding you...live in the moment...and know that She will not abandon you. She, too, is finding Her new, invigorated form as Maiden, full of hope and life and renewal.
In the softness of the Moonlight...
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