Sundown on Sunday: Weekly Tarot Spread

Along with keeping up with my blog, I'm also diving back into my tarot.  If only my weekly spread were a bit more inviting.  All would be wonderful if the two of cups didn't appear in the reversed position.  I worry that it means there will be distrust or disharmony in my marriage.  The knight riding on that white horse to save me (the Knight of Cups) is my husband.  He showed me a new way of life, a new perspective on things.  He made me whole.  The two of cups makes me fear that I will lose that.  The celebration that appears in the three of cups is a little hard to feel with that reversed card.  

Some Poetry

I was out of town for the day for a bridal shower, so I won't be able to post anything substantial.  However I don't want to become a blogging slacker again.  So, I thought I might post one of my favorite poems.  I'm a huge fan of William Blake and this is by far my favorite piece of his.

"Mad Song"

The wild winds weep, And the night is a-cold; Come hither, Sleep, And my griefs enfold! . . . But lo! the morning peeps Over the eastern steeps, And the rustling beds of dawn The earth do scorn. Lo! to the vault Of pavèd heaven, With sorrow fraught, My notes are driven: They strike the ear of Night, Make weak the eyes of Day; They make mad the roaring winds, And with the tempests play, Like a fiend in a cloud, With howling woe After night I do crowd And with night will go; I turn my back to the east From whence comforts have increased; For light doth seize my brain With frantic pain.

Elements Series from The Domestic Witch

 The Domestic Witch is running a series on understanding Elemental Powers and being able to use them in your own craft.  Part of understanding the elements is knowing which element you have a natural affinity for.  Below are 25 questions she has posted to help you understand your natural affinities along with my answers.  I figured I'd post my answers here so I can easily access them as well as sharing them with my readers.

1. Which element do you feel you connect with or understand the most?

Water.

2. What are your hobbies and interests? 

Swimming, Snowboarding, Hiking, Biking, Cooking, Organization, Crafting, Knitting, Reading, Blogging, Teaching, and Pagan-y things.

3. How do you move through activities? For example, do you stay with one activity for a long period of time, restlessly go from one thing to the next, or do several things at once?

I tend to do several things at once and I tend to stay with them all for a long period of time (although blogging took a bit of a break).  I dive into things and I submerge myself in them.

4. Where are your favorite places?

Upstate NY, especially the Adirondacks and Catskills; Vermont; New Hampshire; Texas

5. What is your preferred divination method? Or do you prefer to rely on proven facts only?

Tarot.  I just started working with a pendulum. 

6. What color is your hair, eyes, and skin tone? Do you tan or burn easily? Is your skin oily, dry, or soft?

I have very dark brown hair (almost black) with red highlights, dark brown eyes and light olive skin tone.  During the summer I get pretty tan and I have soft skin.

7. What are your favorite colors?

Black, dark blues, purples and reds.

8. What is the style of your clothes?

I'm pretty eclectic.  I have some "hippie-ish" clothes, goth clothes, punk clothes,  my "teacher clothes" and then just regular t-shirts and jeans.  It depends on the situation I'm in.  I have many different interests and I must change my style of dress to the situation.  

9. Are you sensitive to hot or cold temperatures?

I hate humidity.  I love the winter and I think all my wishing is what caused all the snow this winter.  I'm ok with summer heat as long as there is no humidity.  Summer on Long Island is murder because of the humidity.  I'd rather be in the mountains during the summer.

10. Do you refuse to sit or walk barefoot on rough or uncomfortable textures such as grass or concrete?

I've had issues with sand since I was a baby.  When I was about 9 months old my parents took me to the beach and I would not leave the towel.  I wouldn't play in my sandbox.  I've been getting better as I've gotten older, but I'm not a huge fan of sand beneath my feet.

11. What interests you? Do you have talents in art, music, sports, or science?

I was an opera singer in high school.  I now sing in the car and the shower.  I was also a competitive swimmer.

12. Do you follow you heart or your head when making decisions?

My heart.  I've been learning to think more before I act though and it has benefited me greatly.  Following your heart gets you in trouble.

13. What's you favorite kind of music? Does it have heavy bass, is acoustic, or ethereal?

It really depends on my mood.  I like a lot of different kinds of music.  However, almost all of it, even the piano stuff, has heavy bass.

14. What kinds of things do you use to better your mood? Candles, a warm bath, garden, or a good book?

I love to read or relax in my pool.  I'll also go for walks or take a hot shower.  

15. Do you have any health issues or physical impairments?

 I suffer from depression and anxiety.  

16. What are your biggest fears?

Failure.

17. What types of spells and rituals do you favor? 

Off the cuff.  I also enjoy doing my rituals outside whenever possible.

18. Do you collect anything or have extensive knowledge about a particular subject?

I collect old books and records.  I have an extensive knowledge of Victorian literature and Shakespeare.

19. How old are you? What stage of life are you in?

I'm 26 and I've been married for two years.  I'm not ready for children and have no plans to ever have any.

20. What are your best traits and talents? What are your worst traits and bad habits?

I'm a loyal friend, but I only keep a small group very close.  I always plan for the worst case scenario and am obsessively organized.  I analyze situations and it can be a downer - it plays into my anxiety.  I'm also very stubborn.  I'm sure there are more but I cannot think of it right now. 

21. What is your career or occupation?

I'm a high school English teacher.

22. What do you keep on your altar?

It changes by season but here is a picture of what it looks like for the most part:

24. What's your favorite season?

Winter.

25. What is your Sun Sign, Moon Sign, and Ascendent?
Sun Sign: Scorpio, Moon Sign: Taurus Ascendent: Pisces

Fur baby Fridays

My parents gave my husband and me a new digital camera for our 2 year anniversary.  I'd been putting off buying a new one for a long time, but I'm very thankful for this camera.  It is the first camera I've had to have a "pets" setting.  No more evil red eye on my kitties!

So, finally, everyone gets to see Frankie and all of his blue eyed wonder.  Notice how nicely he poses to have his picture taken!

I've been absent/Thursday Herbal: Holly

I'm not sure if it's because I couldn't find inspiration, because I've been a bit depressed or because I became so involved with my Graduate classes.  I'm more inclined to think it's a combination of all three.  I did feel better when I blogged on a regular basis, so I know I do not want to give it up.  Plus, I was starting to gain a small following.  I noticed I lost a few followers because of my month long absence, but maybe because I plan to post on a regular basis again they'll come back or I'll gain some new people.  I do want to extend an apology to those of you still following.  I'm back and I honestly mean it.  I've spent the past few days looking at my life and my mental state.  I realized how much more at peace I was when I wrote here (almost) everyday and how much more in tune I was with Nature, the Goddess and the God, and the craft.  I want my faith to be with my at all times and I feel that I've let it slip away from me in the past month.  Perhaps it's fitting that I've come to this conclusion as the Celtic calendar changes from Oak to Holly.  Holly, of course, is the focus of my post tonight.

So, thus I begin the new(ish) blog format.  Thursday will be an herbal/plant reflection.  I've started reading a lot about gardening and canning and drying my own herbs.  I don't have a place to do any of this in yet, but I want to be knowledgeable enough so I can jump right in when my husband and I purchase our own home.

Holly

• symbolic of strength gained by challenge
• was once hardened in flames and used as spears
• believed that when heated, holly was as strong as iron

• associated with the spirit of vegetation and the waning forces of nature, personified as a mythical figure called the Holly King.  
• The Holly King rules nature during its decline from the mid-summer solstice (Litha - Jun 21^st) through to the mid-winter solstice (Yule – Dec 21st).  At each of the solstice Sabbats, the Holly King and his brother the Oak King engage in ritual combat for the attentions of the Goddess, from whence the victor presides over nature through the following half of the year.

• Magickal Uses:  
• When planted around the home it protects the inhabitants and guards against lightening, poisoning and mischievous spirits.
•  As a charm to enhance dreams, nine Holly leaves gathered on a Friday after midnight, wrapped in a clean cloth to protect against its needles, and tied up using nine knots was placed under a pillow to make dreams come true.
• Holly is used for magick associated with the element of fire and Holly incense is used to consecrate the athame.
•  The Holly tree deity associations are with:  Lugh, Tannus, Taranis and Thor.  

Holly Spell (from Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook 2010)

If you wish to grow stronger from everyday challenges and overcome them, enlist the help of the holly spirit.  As you gaze into the candle's flame, feel it filling you.  It blesses you with the ability to face any challenges in your path with insight and strength.  


You Will Need:

1. A few holly leaves or other symbol of holly
2. A Green Candle
3. A needle or tool to carve with

Ritual:

1. Carve the holly symbol on the candle.
2. Light it and say: 

 I salute the blessed holly tree,
In justice's name I do decree,
As every challenge comes my way,
The flame will temper my swordplay.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and Dads-to-be out there in blog land!

I've been a slacker lately and I'm sorry for not really posting much.  I've been battling some personal demons and anxiety lately, but hopefully I'll come out of this little slump soon.  Tomorrow is Litha and I'll be putting up some ritual and spell items for the holiday later. 

Oryx and Crake

It's been a long road that I've travelled this week.  My husband's grandmother passed - don't be sorry though - I'd spoken to the women three times in my life and she was nasty and bitter.  My husband wasn't too close to her either.  We went to the funeral in New Jersey on Friday and that was that. 

In other, less depressing news, I'm more than halfway through my next book for my Graduate class, Writing After the End.  All of the literature in this course is Post-Apocalypse/Post-Collapse themed.  It's a bit depressing but still eye opening.  For this unit we were able to choose from three novels The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.  I chose the last novel and boy is it frightening.  I've even made a liner note for myself: "If this is our future, I want out now!" If anyone needs a good summer read or inspiraton to be green, please read this book.  There is a sequel that came out last year, The Year of the Flood, which I plan on reading once I'm done with this book.  It's dark, but I'm realling enjoying it.  

Graduate School

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting again, but summer session for Graduate school has begun!  My first class is on post-apocolypse literature and it's a bit depressing.  The first novel I have to read is called Riddley Walker by Russel Hoban.  It is a very odd book and is completely written in phonetic Kent dialect.  I've only been able to get through 2 of the 17 chapters so far and I have to finish the novel by Monday night.  This is the first time I've really ever been worried about passing an English class.  I've never encountered a book like this before and, quite frankly, I'm intimidated by the posts I've been reading from my classmates on the online Blackboard system.  A few of them are PhD./DA students and far better read than I will ever be.  For the first time in a long time, I'm at a loss and a disadvantage in a college class.  I was able to find a way to catch up in the past, but this book has really put a blockade in front of me.  So, while I try to understand this book, my posts may be very short or just full of Fur Babies.  I don't want to leave my readers without pictures of Frankie and Marty!

Hiking in Upstate New York

Over the Memorial Day weekend, a few friends and I went hiking at Lake Minnewaska.  It was an absolutely beautiful hike!  I wanted to share a few of the pictures with all of you.

I suppose starting with a picture of Lake Minnewaska would be a good start:

Another view of the lake:

I've claimed a rock:

Waterfalls:

My husband and our friend hiding under the mountain:

And finally, me when I've reached the top:

Happy (post) Memorial Day!

I was away for the weekend camping, so I'll be posting more (with pictures!) later.  I just wanted to say thank you to all those who serve in our military, past and present.  I hope everyone took a moment to remember those who did not make it back and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.