Monday Mutterings: Teaching Shakespeare

A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted
Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;
A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting change, as is false women's fashion;
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue, all 'hues' in his controlling,
Much steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created;
Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.

- Sonnet 20 (my personal favorite)

Tomorrow, I begin teaching Romeo and Juliet to my demonic beloved freshman.  I know all most of them will never really have the love affair that I do with The Bard.  I've always been facinated by his use of pagan metaphors/allusions despite him being a Catholic.  I guess part of it is pagan/Greek/Roman references in Elizabethian literature is the same as The Family Guy using references to James Woods and Back to the Future.  They're essentially pop culture references of the time.  However, England had such strict laws about witchcraft until the mid-twentieth century, so it's quite remarkable how he was able to get away with so much.

I was thinking that while I'm teaching Romeo and Juliet I can bring in some horror stories tales of my teaching the play.  I could write my own soap opera/dramady about my teaching experiences.  So many television show ideas could be made with what I hear in the hallways or see in my classroom.  I have an insane interesting bunch this year.  I can only wait till I hand them foam swords.  I just hope that this stormy weather passes soon because I like to take them outside to act out the play.  Cross your fingers for me!

Finally!

It's been awhile, but I've finally caught up with all of my grading.  Sometimes I really need to ask myself why I didn't become a music teacher or a gym teacher.  Reading student essays/research papers has to be the most painful part of my job.  Thank goodness June is fast approaching and I can enjoy my summer taking Graduate courses and house hunting with the hubby. 

This won't be a long post since I have to get up early tomorrow to make copies of my Grammar test (yay!) and do an early morning extra help session for the kiddies.  The hubby and I just got back from a weekend trip to Boston.  We were there for one of his college friend's wedding and it was a great time.  The best part able the entire weekend was seeing my friends Pat and Katy.  We had brunch together this morning at an awesome Jewish deli.  I broke my diet hardcore this weekend because I've been sick and I treated myself to banana stuffed french toast.  It was worth every single bite!  I cannot wait to go back and not just for more french toast!  I really miss seeing Pat and Katy and Boston is a great city.  Plus, it brings back college memories for the hubby (he's a Boston University Alumni).  He bought me an adorable BU outfit so I can be a proud BU wifey:

Now I can watch Terrier's Hockey in style!

Sorry!

I just wanted to apologize to everyone in blog land.  I've not been posting lately because of work related hassles.  It's the end of the marking period and I have quite a bit of grading left to do.  I'll be back posting in a few days!

Bloody April Give-a-Way and Natural Cleaning Products

If you haven't checked out Bloody April at the Wizardess Epi's page Go Out Beneath the Naked Night, you should.  Her give-a-way this month are re-usable menstrual pads.  As a Green Witch, I'm always looking for things to help lower my carbon footprint.  Honestly, I had no idea that re-usable pad existed.  I'm really excited about the Wizardess's give-a-way and I plan on making a purchase from Crea8tive Mama's Etsy Shop.

The Domestic Witch's Spring Cleaning continues this week with kitchen cleaning tips.  Her kitchen blessing is excellent and is worth bookmarking for your own use.  I've also spoken about doing away with harsh, unatural cleaners from my house, well, my mother's house.  Mainstream cleaning products are full of chemicals that are dangerous to you, your pets, your family and even more importantly, the Earth.  However, many alternative, plant based cleaners (which are great) are very expensive and for many people, money is something that is hard to come by right now.  Making your own green cleaning products is cheap, sometimes cheaper than those chemically products, and a great way to bring yourself in balance with Nature.  What could be more pagan?!

Here's a few easy cleaning recipies:

Surface Cleaner - counter tops, tile, ranges, etc.

You Will Need:

• a spray bottle
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water

1. Combine vinegar and water into the spray bottle.
2. Use on any surface in your home.  The vinegar smell will dissipate when the vinegar drys. 
3. For really stained/dirty surfaces, heat up the solution in the microwave or on the stove. 

Toilet Cleaner, Shower Head Cleaner or Laundry Rinse 

You Will Need:

• undiluted white vinegar.  

1. For the toilet bowl: dump a bucket of water into the toilet to force water out of the bowl and allow access to the sides. Pour undiluted white vinegar around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush to remove stains and odor. Use a pumice stone to remove any remaining hard water rings.
2. For Shower Heads:  Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar in a plastic food storage bag, and secure the bag to the shower head with a rubber band. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then rinse and buff the fixture to a shiny finish.    
3. For Laundry: Add one cup of undiluted white vinegar to the laundry rinse cycle instead of commercial fabric softener. White vinegar softens clothes and cuts detergent residue.

Bathtub Scrub

You Will Need:

• Baking Soda
• Sponge

1.  Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to scrub away rings in your bathtub, shower or sink.
2. For bad stains, make a paste with the baking soda and water, apply and let stand for 20 minutes.  Then, rinse with hot water.

Smelly Garbage Disposals 

You Will Need:

• Baking Soda
• Lemon, Orange or Lime peels (optional)
• White Vinegar

1. Pour about 1 cup of baking soda down your garbage disposal.  
2. Then, pour about a cup of vinegar down the disposal for the chemical reaction.
3. Put the citrus peels in the disposal and operate the disposal.  This will leave a nice odor in your drain.

Homemade Glass Cleaner

You Will Need: 

• A spray bottle
• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol 
• 1 cup water 
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Mix all of the above together and clean away!

Furniture Polish

You Will Need:

• A spray bottle
• 1 cup olive oil 
• 1/2 cup lemon juice 

Mix together and shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.

Relaxation Spell

Last week was spring vacation for all the little kiddies and their very over-worked teachers.  I am one of those teachers who needed last week more than anything.  However, now that I'm back at work, all the stress that I left in my classroom is weighing back on my shoulders.  I fought with my former university for about an hour today.  I haven't attended there since 2006 and they were still trying to charge me for a class I never took, not permitted to take (I didn't take enough of the pre-requisites) and was dropped from by the professor.  Not only do I have my work stress, but now I have this wonderful migraine. 

All of this got me thinking about creating some relaxation and calming spells.  I've been a little lazy about working on my own spells lately and this is a perfect time for me to start putting my energies into more productive things, rather than my worries.

I've found that relaxation spells and calming spells work best when working alone rather than with a group.  I think everyone would agree that other people tend to make us more nervous and having them around may take our needed energies away from the spell at hand.  This is a very simple spell and can be used at any time.

What you need:
A Blue Candle
A White Candle
A Black Candle
An Orange Candle
Lavender Oil (optional)

• Run a hot bath and add the lavender oil (if you're using it).  Set up the  candles near the tub (if you can).
• Light the white candle and say: This candle represents me and me in all things.  This is the flame that I carry as I walk upon my path.
• Light the black candle and say: These are my negative thoughts and energies.  These are the things that distract me from my path and cause me to drag my feet.  Fear, tears, and disappointment is here.  These troubles leave me now forever.
• Light the blue candle and say: All these troubles are now past.  The light of this flame neutralizes the negativity that has surrounded me.  This candle represents the element of water.  Water, cleanse me of these worries.
•  Finally, light the orange candle and say: This candle represents the positive energy I want to bring into my life and give me balance.  Lord and Lady, please continue to help guide me and bless me with the light this flame brings.
• At this point, your bath should be filled.  Step in and sit quietly.  Picture that orange candle and it's energy surrounding you.  You may wish to submerge yourself in the bath water and picture the blue candle and the element water purifying you.  
• When you are ready, say the following:   

 

Remember the law of three

Without it, nothing will you be

Goddess and the God come sit beside

To help rid me of these harmful thoughts inside

Free me from this stress and pain

Let me grow and love and gain

With your love, I can love me

So mote it be

Monday Mutterings: Tarot

Last week I began doing (almost) daily tarot readings for myself.  The Domestic Witch's focus for this week is on the Hearth and Home.  This means that we should bring focus into the things we truly have a strong passion for.

Tarot is something that I began doing as a teenager and recently it has come back to my life.  Reading the cards was something that always came easily to me, especially since the decks I've always used have pictoral expressions of meaning.  Up until last week, I used the Universal Waite deck, but I purchased the Robin Wood deck on Amazon.  Immediately I had a strong connection to my new deck.  I've used the Robin Wood deck (most of my friends have it) and it has interested me for a long time.  I really have no idea why I've waited so long to purchase it.  Now, even though I'm pretty good at getting the meanings from just the cards themselves, I do like to have a reference.  At the suggestion of a friend, I purchased the book Tarot: Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis.  Anyone who is interested in tarot, beginner or not, should have this book.

I did not do a full week of readings, but the ones I did do were pretty interesting.  I will share one of them with you along with the weekly draw card.

My weekly draw card was Temperance.  This card is a card of balance.  The angel's wings in this deck are yellow which denotes illumination or inspiration.  However, in other deck's the angel's wings are red, the color of passion.  The angel is able to stand with one foot in the water, which usually is some connection to either travel or change.  From this card I knew that this week would possible involve me helping my life become more balanced or that focus for the week would be creating some form of harmony in my life.

On Thursday morning,  I drew the Six of Pentacles.  This card displays a nobleman holding the scales (which are balanced) and handing out coins to others.  This is a balanced man who has gained this through his devotion to charity/the needs of others less fortunate than himself.  The pentacles suit also tends to indicate some form of financial gain for myself or someone close to me.





Every card I drew last week had something that indicated a form of balance coming into my life or the lives of loved ones.  Interestingly enough, many things occurred that followed along with this theme: 1) I found out that I will be graduating from Grad School earlier than expected; 2) My husband and I found out we will be getting much more back on our tax return this year; 3) My raise came through; 4) My first coven meeting went very well and brought a needed pagan connection into my life; 5) Several friends became engaged this week.

I'm interested to see what this week's card will say!

Happy Easter!

Even though I'm no longer Catholic, I still celebrate Easter with my family.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day today.  It is beautiful outside today in New York and there is good food cooking downstairs that I'm very excited to eat.

This will be a short post, but I am very happy to report that I basically came "out of the broom closet" to my mother today.  She knew I was a witch, but I never outright said it to her.  We had a very open and honest conversation today about how Catholics and Pagans are essentially celebrating similar things at this time of the year and how unfortunate it is that the religions shut one another out.  Let's hope her positive attitude towards my faith continues.  She tends to flip-flop on the issue a bit, but I'm happy I said it to her finally.


Happy Easter everyone!  Enjoy the spring transformations around you.

I will post again tonight for the start of my weekly tarot readings.

Giveaway from Mrs. B!

Mrs. B at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom has a great new giveaway from Starrlight Jewelry!  The best part about Starrlight is that money from jewelry sales go to fund her independently owned and operated animal sanctuary.  She saves mostly kitties, but there are a few birds on her facebook page.  So, even if you don't want to enter the contest, purchase some her beautiful work to help cuties like this one:

I just want to adopt them all!

Marty finds a friend

My husband and I have been living with my parents for a little over a year now with our two cats, Frankie and Marty.  My mother has two pets of her own, Belle (a Shetland Sheepdog) and Tommy (a HUGE, orange cat).  My Siamese, Frankie, does not particularly care for Tommy or Belle, but Marty loves the two of them.  Marty is also a very shy kitty, so catching a picture of him for my Friday postings has been a bit of a challenge.  However, Marty and Belle had a snuggle-fest a few days ago and I was able to snap a picture of the two of them.

I'm hoping that one day, all four of them will be sleeping together on the couch.  Knowing my Siamese, it will have to be a blue moon or some other rare cosmic occasion before that happens.

My Altar

I couldn't really think of anything to post today, so I thought I'd post a picture of my spring altar.

Happy Thursday everyone!  It's beautiful outside on the East Coast, so go out and play!