around here: December 2012

Our month has been full of good times.  Visits to lots of festive places, wide eyes, birthday celebrations and sharing.  Solstice was quiet and small as usual, maybe even more so this year. 

We had lots of snow for Solstice which was very festive feeling.  It also added to the peacefulness.

We fed the birds on our Solstice walk and I set up my altar that evening.  Winter's mantle has settled over us these days and we sleep later and go to bed earlier.  It just seems to fit where we are right now.

Kitchen Altar

Since moving to our new home almost 2 years ago I have wanted to erect a small altar in my kitchen.  Besides the obvious reason of honouring the seasons and deity, I wanted this to be a reminder of what my time in the "center of our home" means to me each moment I am there.  And the thing is I'm there most of the time.  I make about 5 meals a day in there.  Sure at times it's as simple as cutting cheese and assembling a plate of crackers, or boiling water for tea, but each of those actions is a work of spirit for me.  Feeding myself and my family is a work of devotion, sometimes toil, sometimes pleasure.  I hear the hum of the fridge motor, feel steam rising from soup, and move through ritual after ritual of cutting, kneading, measuring and stirring. 
Looking to my little white altar and seeing what sits there reminds me of this great work.  Humble though it is.  I honour the food that comes into my doors, from local farms or from far away.  I honour the spirit of the Goddess Hestia and her vigil over hearth and home.  I chose an image of her where she is offering her flame since it mirrors how I feel when I bring offerings for us to eat.  Along side the image is my arbutus wooden knife.  I purchased it many moons ago.  Carved from a fallen branch I consider it a symbol of the craft work I do in preparing our meals.  And a simple homemade beeswax candle to light when the mood strikes.  I find that the action of lighting the candle is helpful in making my time in the kitchen more meditative.

If you have a kitchen altar I'd love to see it.  Leave a link in the comments for all to find.

snippets

The days have been blurring into one another these last few weeks.  So I thought I'd share some snippets as a memory jogger for the future.

Halloween night and our pumpkins

our tired out baby bee

The leaf strewn path by our home

and our altar to our loved ones on the other side

These last few days have felt just as hectic but somehow there have been moments, snippets for a little of this:

That has brought some quiet to my mind.  Tonight I'm off for a second round of Mama alone time in two weeks and Friday I will have some time to focus on some sewing thanks to my Mother-in-law.  Remembering to breathe is always apropos here.

Our Equinox

For the third year now we made our way to the other side of our mountain to share the morning with friends.  This year it wasn't hot like the first, and there was little sunshine like the second, but the day was autumnal in its mist...

 we spent time in the rose garden smelling the last of summer's warmth...

after the gentle rain dispersed we assembled a simple altar...

and of course played in the leaves.

this tradition is a comfortable one.  Kind of like a familiar sweater and a mug of tea.  Welcome Autumn!

refresh

With Beltaine's energy filling us all I felt an altar update was necessary.  I finally have a little shelf all my own to use as an altar in the otherwise chaotic sewing room/office.  For the last two months it has looked like this:

My birthing altar.   It held my drawing intention spell from Imbolc, a photo of the Damien Hirst Pregnant woman statue, my moon cord, two oil anointed candles also made on Imbolc, 4 cards from my Celestial Tarot deck: the ten of pentacles, Spring (Princess of Pentacles) for Elliott's birth season, and both the Aries (Emperor) and Pisces (Moon) cards because I wasn't sure what sign he would be.  Also included was a stone from my family farm, a piece off volcanic rock from Hawaii, a white pentacle for grounding, and a photo of an interpretation of Gaia.  There were various other stones and the contents from my witches ladder which was done before Kyan's birth.

Now that the holiday of love is here I thought it wise to change it up.  Beltaine is also special to me because 8 years ago I began dating Dave around this time, so the love factor is doubled for me.

I wanted something simple: a wedding photo, lovers statue, the Venus (Empress) card from Celestial Tarot, a romantic art card and some feathers.  Birds herald the sexy spring to me.  The most glorious part of my day yesterday was sitting rocking Elliott while listening to the birds sing outside.  It was warm and sunny, just a lovely day.  I hope your's was too.

Little Gifts to Me

Each Yule I try and pick out one small item, usually a decor item that I can add to my collection. I visited 2 local craft fairs this year that were held at the Scandinavian Cultural Centre. One was put on by the Danish community and the other by the Swedish community. I had so much fun at both and found some wonderful deals and I found my Yule gift to me.

Here he is: The Yule Goat.


I saw these lovely wheat woven goats flanking the huge fireplace in the Centre and just loved them. I came across a lady who makes them as well as other lovely little ornaments in red thread and Swedish wheat. The Yule Goat is on of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Christmas symbols and traditions. A goat was slaughtered at Yule and this little guy represents that but has came to be associated with singing carols door-to-door and as the giver of Christmas gifts. The Norse God Thor's chariot was drawn by two goats which could attribute to why a goat was given this significance.


In Sweden the Yule Sacrifice was dramatized by a man dressed as the goat being slaughtered by a group of men and then resurrecting. It is amazing how the sacrifice and rebirth theme permeates customs at this time of year. The cycle continues.
So even though I'm not decorating full force this year because we are leaving soon, I have my Yule Goat on my little kitchen altar to preside over our travel preparations.


And the other little gift I got for myself was these white-tailed deer antler buttons. The gentleman that made these had beautiful rune engravings on rune sets, charms, and necklaces. I would have bought much more but used my utmost restraint since it was not time for me to overindulge. He told me that he makes his rune sets in sacred space in the Viking tradition and well, I just may have to get me a set one day. These buttons do not have a specific purpose yet but they contain so much magic to me that right now I want to just admire them as they are.
I hope you all get yourselves just a little something this year to make your season bright and magical as well.

Ancestor's Dinner

Our Samhain celebration was last night. It was understated and simple since I have an almost two year old and a non-pagan to please. We had a feast of lasagna, Caesar salad and apple crisp with yogurt. And we set out a place at the table for the spirits to join us.


Before we ate I read this blessing:

Tonight we honour our beloved dead. As a family we honour those that came before us, whose blood runs through our veins. Those who toiled, who laughed, who birthed, who hunted and who cleared the land. We remember the ancestors we have had the pleasure to know, the one's whose faces we can picture and the one's whose names we have spoken: (insert names of family members here) ....and the many others.

We welcome you to our table with thanks and respect. You are with us in our hearts,
what is remembered lives.

Unfortunately death is very present with us this year. The mists are covering a dear one and will soon bring her away, and another has already moved into the next stage. This has made this time very poignant for me and very emotional. After my Spiral Dance trance I didn't feel that more magical work was necessary last night. Instead I did a simple chakra cleanse before sleep while imagining what the full moon must have looked like behind the shroud of the clouds. Today on our walk Kyan and I will spread the food from the ancestor plate in the woods and we will continue to burrow into our little nest as the nights get longer and longer. Blessings.

Autumnal Equinox in Pictures

Under a hot sun that felt more like summer...

In a circle of stones, with feathers, leaves, and words...

Under the shade of leaves waiting to fall...

Leaf fights with the ones that have...


Rolling down hills of late dandelions, towards the changing Oak King...


A happy day of balance to us all.

Evaluating my Path Fall 2009

The figure you see above is one that I found at the beginning of the summer at a thrift store. Despite her 90's new age feel she compelled me to bring her home. Clean lines, serene, seated cross-legged with her hands open. After a fresh coat of paint I planned for her to be a focus for my altar. I wanted to create an altar in the one spot in our home that no one else went to, the corner of the balcony off our bedroom. I wanted to get a small table and set it up with a carpet/blanket in front for me to sit on and just have this little place of my own. I could meditate, do rituals etc. and most of all have an area to focus that energy to. Well, here it is September and is there an altar out there? No. Why didn't this happen? There are many reasons. Money, time, lack of dedication, lack of making this wish a priority for myself.
When I find an hour to myself it is hard to prioritize what I'd like to do most. Read, sleep, work,
blog, sew... the list is endless for me. I never have problems with boredom since my to-do list is always so long.
But where does this leave my personal practice and are the ways I see my paganism changing?
I consider the development of my personal practice to be a series of baby steps. I have tried to set goals each year for my practice and this year has seen some of them realized and some not so much. But my main intention is to work my spirituality into my everyday life. What that means to me is changing though. One of the great aspects of participating in the pagan online community is that I'm learning in a more community based way than I did previously. 10 years ago when I found this path I relied on books and the experiences of other peers who were exploring similar ideas. In its next phase my journey joined with that of other women and we worked together on shared goals. I have yet to feel the need to seek out "a teacher", I may never feel that need. Instead I see my sense of spirit evolving with my life in an interconnected way. For instance my cooking skills are not separate from my witchy tendencies. Each time I make bread or try a new recipe something inside is putting intention into my work. If I'm not careful, if my day is not going well, my intention can affect my food. This has happened to me several times in the last two weeks because I've been "off". Just not focusing, not being present in the moment when I'm cooking. Being mindful of the present moment is a primary focus of my practice.
Another development for me in terms of my interaction with the pagan community online is that I am learning incredible amounts of valuable information. There are several sources for this. One being the many podcasts I listen to. Hearing about the pagan community at large, from writers, musicians, and pagans practicing their paths their way is so enriching. I find myself evaluating my views on issues raised and keeping abreast of current news and concerns has really changed the way I see my place in the community. I feel compelled to participate, use my voice, and present that voice as authentically as possible.
Sarah Lawless at The Witch of Forest Grove has opened a can of worms inside me as well. She is doing a series of posts on the history of different pagan traditions. These posts are so interesting. I have flirted with terms like green witch, hedge witch, domestic/kitchen witch but Sarah defines them and provides resources for further research. There is a wealth of info on the web about paganism but there is also misinformation out there. I feel very confident with Sarah's research. Terms are more for the reference of others than myself because I don't feel the need for self-definition. But I also don't want to call myself anything specific without understanding the meaning of the term. Witch has been a word that I've identified with for the last 10 years. Not in the Wiccan sense, not even in the witchcraft sense (although I do often consider my work witchcraft) but the word resonated with me. Pagan, witch, and now I say solitary witch. Witch means many things to me: magic worker, gardener, artist, weaver of energy. It's meaning is changing for me though. The more I understand about the specific Witch paths the less I am able to identify where I fit into their spectrum. I don't expect to resolve this issue in one post or even any time soon. I think I just have to keep working, learning and listening to my inner voice and guides and all will be revealed in time. This post has been a bit all over the place so please forgive my ramblings...but they definitely reflect my inner voice these days. Inspired, tired and open to change.

I want to remember...

The time that I was so looking forward to is in full bloom. Ever since Kyan started walking I've been waiting for the time when he'd pick up rocks, sticks, pine cones and such and carry them around with him. I was a collector as a child and stones were my favorite. Often I would fill my pockets and hands to the brim and play with them for what seemed like hours.
Now that this time is here for Ky I just want to remember it. I wanted to record it here so that I remember his exclaims of delight at seeing pine cones! How he tries to pick up huge parts of fallen tree branches, the expression on his face as he contemplates which object he must relinquish in order to pick up another and how glorious his little hands are as they reach for nature's toys.

To store some of these treasures in one place I've created a little shelf for his outside toys. It used to be a shoe rack so it's nothing fancy but it's functional. On top I've placed a wooden salad bowl and a few other little pots to hold the rocks, sticks, feathers and such. It is his own nature altar for all of the things he holds dear at this moment (and some that I like too.) He usually goes to it as soon as he's out the door and chooses which things to carry with him. This stage is so interesting as if he must hold at least one thing in his hands at all times. I will keep this little habit of his as one of my most precious memories of this summer.

Thanks Mrs. B & Dancing Goddess Dolls

I was thrilled to receive my prize from Mrs. B's 31 Days of Halloween on Thursday. Kelli at Dancing Goddess Dolls does beautiful work. I love Hecate and have placed her on my Fall/Samhain altar. A big thanks to you both for making my New Year so special.

Family and Summer's Farewell

Today I dropped my parents off at the airport. They were here for a week visiting from back east. We loved having them here with us. It is so nice to spend such quality time together. We took a Harbor Cruise, visited the UBC Botanical Garden and went to Whistler. It is hard to live a 5 hour plane ride away from them, but as my father said several years ago when I considered moving home: "You have to be where your life is..." and my life is here. I consider the end of their visit as my cue to say goodbye to summer. With that I have posted the photos of my little witchy places in my home. These are the summer places which will be changed this weekend. Soon the house will be full of autumn and Halloween. The inspiration for this post comes from a blog I frequent; Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. This is the post that began the idea for me. Check out the original and pass it on.

My kitchen witch, a gift from my Mom years ago. And elemental objects: feather (air), shell (water), stones: carnelian & aventurine (earth), candle (fire). My happy little altar.

Seed pods, dried lavender, and a crow feather found in the season, my newest treasure the Goddess candle holder, and the iris cloth that is a vintage handkerchief. These sit on the kitchen table.

My journals which sit on the shelf with my elemental altar. My day planner, my Book of Star Shadows (now full), my Book of Leaf Shadows, my garden journal and my Celtic Devotional by Caitlin Matthews.

Our family charm. I made this with beads, a long glass ornament, some small bells, and the ten of cups mini tarot card that I received at a Pagan Gathering several years ago. It depicts a family of four happy and dancing in the country side. I consider it to be a wish for our family. I also included four star charms for protection; one for myself, my husband and my son and for the future soul we hope will join us in a few years. It hangs in the entryway of our home to keep us safe.