Found Some Things

I just found, again, my stash for the end of the world.  It's not so much the end of the world, it's what we are going to be left with I guess, is what this is all about.  This has been ongoing since Guy and I were first married, I was fairly normal up to that point and as the years go by, my need to hoard information, and underground bunkers gets worse.  Although it is mostly internal, I don't go around screaming the end is near or anything.  And I for real don't feel like the "end" is near, but something bad's gonna happen, just no idea when and I doubt it will be 12-21-12, but that very well could be the beginnings.
My collection includes:
Wild Edibles Of Missouri by Jan Phillips
Readers Digest's Back to Basics How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills
A manual on how to build with cob literally from the ground up
A manual on how to treat water, reverse osmosis in a soda bottle
And a myriad of information on herbal remedies, always the thought is, what if we don't have access to the kinds of medications we have now? 
Is anybody else out there a collector?  I don't feel like I'm crazy, there is definitely an intuition driving me to collect things like this.  People are building their underground shelters and packing them with "food", don't know if that's the best option. 
Also I have visions in my head of underground or earth contact type bunkers with high ceilings and florescent lights so we can grow food???  Maybe I don't feel like a whack job because this is how my mind has been working for so many years that I'm used to it??  Who knows?

Earth

For the next couple of weeks I will be spending time with the element of Earth.  This was suggested by CharmingPixieFlora, to spend time with each element, how much time is up to you, but really try to get to know the elements.

I am also trying to study Spiritual Alchemy, which is the study of how the elements can help you in just about every facet of your life.  It's a little over my head at the moment, but with continued study I hope to understand it and apply to my life and path.

Where we bury our dead, grow some of our food and medicines. She supports the whole of humanity and gives us ground to stand on.Some animals as well as people try to hide their treasures in it.

Mini Dragons

So cool!!!

This really gets the imagination going :)

My cupboard

 

I don't have alot, most what I have is second hand, even the books, handmade or hand-me-downs, which for me makes them that much more special. I keep most everything in my room because I spend alot of time here, especially during winter, and they make me happy, with memories, and content. Do I call myself a witch, mmm, I compare myself to Aunt Clara, I am an aspiring weed wife with just a bit of something else. 

 

I hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

Have a great day <)

Really Need to Work on the Protection

Just not sure if it would be protection from evil, or protection from myself for being such an idiot for not listening to my intuition to begin with AND letting people walk all over me and my family. 

The more Witchy Rooms I see

  The more I am convinced that I will probably always keep my "witchy room" in my kitchen.  It is where I prepare all of my folk medicines, magical tinctures and oils, and I love the kitchen and even though it is at one end of our house I still feel like it's the heart of our home. 
  Witchy books, well there's another story.  I have a few, I want to add a few more as money is available, but that isn't happening at the moment so I read and study what I have and *hmm* what I can on the internet.  The internet.  Now there is a huge volume of information here, but not all of it is useable nor reliable, and I realize I have to be careful here.  But like with anything, use your head, and your intuition, and try to find information else where to back it up.

What about....

Gardens?  I know they exist on a smaller level, but what about just a bit bigger.  Enough to feed a neighborhood, and one in each neighborhood.  Completely organic and a few green houses.  Staffed with several volunteers only, if you want to eat you really should help unless you are elderly. 

Deity

I have been drawn to the Greek Pantheon, 4 in particular.  Hecate, Pan, Hestia and Gaia, in that order.

Ritual Bath

I just watched a video from youtube channel MagicTV titled Wicca First Degree Lesson 1 Ritual Bath Spell and it was very informative.  It helps me to see as opposed to just reading about things.  May this video help others as well.  Blessed be.

The Water Got Shut Off Today

Wednesday, Sep 21st, 2011 -- You may have to handle an urgent financial situation that you let go for too long. It could be as simple as processing a bank transaction or paying a bill. But it might require you to set aside time today to get ready for something later in the week. Luckily, your natural flexibility enables you to move through this minor crisis with ease.

In all seriousness

After reading Sally Dubats book The Grimoire Chronicles: Veil Between Worlds I have come to realize that I need to take ritual more seriously.  Not that I take it lightly, but, for instance, tools, I never really regarded a besom as a necessary tool for me.  In the book the besom is a very important part of ritual as it generates energy while cleansing.  I really need to get back to the books and study.  All the way back to Scott Cunninghams Wicca.

Permanence

I do not have a sense of permanence.  That is why I am always feeling like everything needs to be able to go into a bag.  What made me think of this was thinking about castles and how they had these huge tomes and librarys, well, they were for that day and age anyway.  They had a sense of permanence in those big ol' stone castles.  Even in a house I always know everything is temporary and eventually I will need to tote things to another house.  Furniture is temporary and I am able to leave behind, but pots and pans, blankets, books, jars, herbs, clothes...pillows.  These things have to be able to be toted.  I'm a freakin weirdo.

Lammas

My sabbat will be more about first harvest and things revolving around harvest as I am not familiar with Lugh, which is not to say that I never intend to get to know Lugh. 
We had gone grocery shopping at Walmart on Friday.  As we were entering the store a woman approached and handed me a little flyer about a food drive.  Just a little nudge is all it took.  I would've wanted to give way more, but we gave and so did other folks.  So this was the beginning of one of my own "Lammas Tradition".  Sharing the harvest.  Although not an actual harvest from a field, still it comes from what we reaped from Guys hard work. 
Looking at the picture above, my life is involving alot of snakes lately.  I love it, but hoping I am up to the task. 

Peanut Butter

I saw peanut butter in my dream.  I had made a sandwich for Guy, or something, anyway it was on a shelf at a thrift store.  So I look up peanut butter at Dream Moods and this is what it says:
Peanut Butter
To see or eat peanut butter in your dream, suggests that you are having difficulties communicating your thoughts and ideas. It may also indicate a misunderstanding; your words are coming out all wrong.

Now, you can't tell a gemini this and not expect them to panic.  We depend alot on our ability to communicate and to communicate clearly. 

STOP

Before you take down your altar until your next ritual, you may want to consider this:  How about a permanent altar? 
I took mine down about a month ago, maybe a little while longer and as of late, things hurt my feelings much easier, and almost like depression, I believe I said in post somewhere that I felt that the magic in life has gone away, almost desperate.  Altars up, feeling fine.  Not all the way up to par, but I figure the longer I leave it up, the better.

Don't be a victim

There are so many of us out there that fall victim to folks we may call ignorant, petty, stupid.  These people are mental or emotional bullies and I think it's time we stop being the willing victim.  In cases I am familiar with it's a person who is close to you or feels familiar enough with you to beat you up mentally and emotionally and usually these beatings take place because we are not doing what they want us to do or behaving in a manner or fashion they feel we should not be.  Yeah, controlling much?  I think our best defense is to recognize it for what it is:  1)  pathetic,  2)  because of their own self hate, 3)  because of their own insecurities, 4) or worst of all they are just plain hateful.  Best bet to battling these types is to keep interaction time to a minimum.  Whenever the stinging words start to come or the I don't love you actions start to manifest, don't react, just leave the area.  I have been plagued by people like this my whole life and have learned that the last thing I do is let them get the best of me.

Bullying parents is an article to help out with one of the more common ones that I have seen.  Again, I was looking for some sort of pic to go with this article and found this

Which was a part of this article.  Intuition is a cool thing.

Much love to all who are bullied by their parents.

What would you do?

What would you do if a person accused somebody you loved of doing something heinous and you knew damn well it didn't happen?  This is the one that broke me, and still to this day if I see or hear anything about this person I fill with hate.  So what do I do about this?

For instance

I was looking for a pic to go with this post and did a google image kind of thing and found this one that I liked out of an entire page of images and the page it went with was about granny magic from appalacia.  I don't remember what this article was supposed to be about now :/.

I am affraid to love

Anybody other than my husband and my children, and my grandchildren.

I am a clairvoyant

This is something I have actively ignored most of my life, just not paying attention.  Until a few years ago when a terrible thing happened and I knew something bad was going to happen.  I can still remember the exact moment so clearly, and I had never felt anything like that until then.  The feeling was very, intense.  I remember my vision, my actual vision seemed to zoom into this one person, and everything sort of went dark grey.  Sure enough, one of the most terrible events in my life was about to unfold.  I panicked for sure, I am sure now, there would've been something I could've said to soothe the situation, but I panicked.  I still panic to this day, because of fear, and limited self confidence.  I have been beat up too much by humanity and feel as though I am damaged in some way.  Also sometimes it hard to tell the difference between my own paranoia, everybody hates me or has something against me, or real things.

Dedication Day Finally!!

This day, I definitely got the feeling that something was opposed to this.  I was supposed to do this the day before, but it was just too hot.  Postponed this for a day, plus my husband was off work, and it was not a bad idea...I thought.  So next day, we get up a little early to try and beat the heat, and head out.  We want to make a quick stop at wal-mart to get the rent and send son some money.  I sat in the car while my husband went to get these items.  Ended up he couldn't find me in the parking lot, and I never saw him come out.  He thought something bad happened at home and walked home, while I sat in the parking lot.  It was terrible!!  I was so scared, to the point that I made myself ill.  If it wasn't for Taime and Quentin I probably would've sat there all day.  Anyway.  Long story short, we met back up, had our say so's on the matter and went to lunch.  I had almost said, "Fuck it." to EVERYTHING.  My husband was the one that brought my head back around.  And with a little determination, and lots of "Duh" I made it.

 Moving ever forward in love and light.

Stands against water

Yesterday I did my daily oracle card reading, I use my earth magic oracle cards.  I drew:
Tsunami - Wake up call
River - movement
Ocean - ebb and flow

At first glance, all three are water cards, larger bodys of water.  In my head I see me, in the middle of a faster moving, not too deep, river, and I am standing against the flow, fighting to stay upright. In my head I hear, the river is life.  I'm angry at life, I hate life because life is always trying to bowl me over.  In my head I hear, turn around, stop fighting life, go with the flow.  And my brain, body and soul take a breath and say, aaah.  and then two seconds after that same brain, body and soul says, QUE? Because I have always fought life and I don't know any other way. Now may be a good time to ask for a teacher, duh, this is what comes into my head now.

moral: life will come, the good, the bad and the ugly, the choice is mine to fight a tiring, loosing battle or go with the flow, observe and learn.

Self dedication

I am working on my self dedication and am researching for it.  I think I just want to do something, maybe with Guy there, definitely with Guy there, if he wants to be.  Just something simple, between me and the universe.  I just really need to stop being so angry inside or I feel that it would all be for naught.  Maybe if at sometime I can be at peace, but I am at least thinking about my dedication now lol after two years.

Look what my love made for me :)

He bought the wooden box and then wood burned the designs on it and coated it with a protective spray.  I love it and I use it to keep my candles, smudges, and incense in.  Thank you Daddy!!

He also made this great dinner.  :) Terriyaki chicken with bell pepper mixed with noodles.

Something happened the other day

Before my kids went off on their vacation I had made a little mojo bottle, if you will.  The moon she was a waning so I did a keep away spell, keep away evil, harm and woe.  And my kids got lots of woe, lots of woe, in New Mexico.  The engine on the van blew.  They just got this van.
Not to interrupt, but I was standing outside, my mind wonders alot, and this time it was a daydream of the lady across the street.  She is on oxygen.  She had noticed my pentacle and had asked if I could do a spell to cure her and I told her that sometimes things just are.  Now I know that wasn't my words.  Then I got a thought of one of our most famous witches, Scott Cunningham, who died of cancer.  Sometimes things just are, not to say we can't try to do everything in our power to change this situation, but when bad things happen, its not the fault of the witch, or the powers that be, it just is.
So the moral of my story is this, when we do things, and we do them to the best of our ability, they aren't going to pan out the way we had hoped.  To coin an old phrase, "That's the way the cookie crumbles.", so to speak.  It can be harsh, and terrible, and heart wrenching, we get angry, and anguish, until we come to grips with the situation and carry on from there, its part of what makes us human.

New altar cloth

My beautiful altar cloth.  Since I have chosen a green path, green has become my go to color, and browns and beiges, some blues because of the healing, and so very light yellows.  All earthy tones, seasonal colors too, fall being one of my favorites.

My very simple, user friendly altar that I love.  I love every piece on my altar, including how I came about getting the pieces which is mostly stories of yard sales, flea markets, dollar stores and generous people that let me use the deer antlers.

I know it's not as lovely as some, or as ornate, but I love my altar in all her simplicty and beauty.

Good day!

Life

I have made my life an absolute mess, and I am afraid that it has passed on to my children.  Wish I could go back in time to fix whatever it was that I messed up.  I don't have that ability, so I carry on from here.  But what is the best way to do that?  I am at a loss and this post is full of "I" this and "I" that. 

Full Moon June 15, 2011

There She is in all her glory!  Did not do a ritual this night, but I did make my moon water and set the house ward out to soak up moon energy.  Also I repotted my new rosemary plant that Guy got me today and named her Isabelle after my daughters eldest daughter.  

Garrett got arrested today and that sucked, but for now hoping that we will have a new home for him to come home to.  

Anger

Ok, so I know that my first reaction is anger, and then after a couple of days I can come up with reason.  This doesn't make for the wise.  I am disappointed, and am actively searching for another way.

 

These are echinacea tincture, garlic oil, and st. johns tincture brewing.

 

My herb hutch.  Granted, filled with purchased, dried, herbs at the moment.  No wild crafted yet.  You would not believe the stress I have over my herbs and the weather.  Definitely not as much as for my family, and furry babies, but still I have definitely formed a sort of relationship with my herbs.

The Older I get

It has gotten to the point that I no longer feel "safe" unless all the things that I feel I need are in bags and ready to move at the blink of an eye.  It's a terrible feeling.  Dread.  I won't be able to get all the things I need and the things I treasure out safely.  There's too much.  What about dog food?  Cat food?  We are so lucky to live in a time and a place where being able to have pets is a luxury.  Some folks around the world feed their "pets" with food from their own mouths.  And some of us feel the need to put clothes on our pets.  What a difference location can make.

Badger

I don't remember exact date, but it was during autumn 2010.  I had gone to a site, a ning site, for witches.  There was a post about how to help you find your animal totem.  There was a music video of drums to help you relax and concentrate on your totem.  I was very skeptical.

I sat, closed my eyes and listened to the drums and a vision same through the dark fog of my mind.  In a forest, a small knoll, "OH!".  A small animal peeked around the knoll at me, she was quick about it...was that a badger??  She sniffed the air, barely visible around the knoll and slowly she came around front of it to look me over.  My heart felt the warmth of love and I almost cried.

	BADGER

	Cunning badger of the forest, Guide me to wisdom, truth and light. All injustices against me, Wipe clean the slate and set them right.
Aggressiveness, Reliance, Self-Expression The power of the Badger totem is its aggressiveness and the willingness to fight for what it wants. This aggression can also be turned to healing - for Badger is the keeper of Earth's healing herbs.  Badger people are quick to express their feelings without concern for the consequences. They are often healers who have the courage to use unconventional methods. Badger has the ability to persist to find a cure. Badger people are often leaders and bosses, the one who will get the job done. If you have a Badger as a totem, you will likely be solitary but comfortable being alone. You are comfortable in your own skin and very self-reliant. Badger anger can get your out of apathy, but be careful not to cut yourself (or others) to ribbons. Badger is a powerful totem when used properly.

I was standing outside smoking a cigarette, thinking about my forest.  Day dreaming of laying on the forest floor letting her take of my energy to use as she will when a snake, blackish colored with gold undertones came.  She slithered up my body to set on my chest and look into my face, she kissed me, slithered lovingly around my neck, for a second I tensed, otherwise I think she would've made comfortable there, but instead she slithered down my right arm to coil around my forearm and she melded into a tattoo there.  This was my daydream, and the following is what I found out about a snake totem.

SNAKE
	Wisdom, Healing, Initiation The symbol of eternity
This a powerful totem -- it is the symbol of transformation and healing. The Snake is wisdom expressed through healing. It is a protector and guardian totem, along with its sister totems, the Dragon and the Serpent. If a snake totem has come into your life, your creative forces are awakening. Your intuition will sharpen and be more accurate. Snake energy is the energy of wholeness, cosmic consciousness, and the ability to experience anything willingly and without resistance. It is the knowledge that all things are equal in creation. It also signals a transition in your life. New opportunities and/or changes. Snake is fire medicine, the medicine of transmutation. On a material level, it is vitality; on an emotional level, it is ambition and dreams; on a mental level, it is intellect and power; on a spiritual level (the highest level),

                                     it is wisdom, understanding and wholeness.

Snake magic is heavy magic. 
Become the Magician and transmute the energy and accept the power of the fire.

The Snake is one of the symbols of Thoth.

Tornado

The southern states of Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina to name a few, and here in St. Louis, but not near the loss of life or devastation experienced by the earlier mentioned states, have been hit hard by tornados.  Entire neighborhoods have been laid to waist by one of mother natures most powerful events.

I am thinking of you.  I am sending healing energy out to my south and south east, as well as a prayer to mother nature for calm, and mercy. 

Why?

For as far back as, well it started when we lived in Illinois, 1992.  I have this urge to keep everything mobile.  I want to put essential belongings in duffle bags, and I need camping gear.  It's terrible and it gets worse every year and I keep telling myself I'm just being paranoid, but am I...paranoid?

My Dark of the Moon Ritual

This isn't a very good picture, but this was my altar for this ritual.  My altars tend to be simple because I don't have a permanent altar.  Honestly, though, I think that even if I did have a permanent altar it would still be a simple one ;).

Soothe The Way

Hecate my need is true

assistance I will ask of you

The shadow of fear and pain

from these girls allow to wane.

St. Johns Wort I do evoke

weakness, hate, and sadness choke.

Help soothe the way while they heal

and work their ways through this ordeal.

With herb and heart that's true

I ask these things of you

May the working of the spell

please you and make things well.

Earth Hour 2011

 Visit Earth Hour here. 

Disappointed.  Got so caught up in the dailies that I missed this very important event.  When I ask myself which is more important, whatever had my attention that day, or our planet...now I'm dumb on top of disappointed.  Hopefully next year I will be with it.  On alot of things concerning our planet.  

If you plant by the moon and the zodiacs

This is the place to check out.  It gives you daily, what phase the moon is in, what zodiac and what element is in play on that day.  They give you a five day look ahead.  I love this site, it really has come in handy not just for planting, but magical work as well.  And everytime my comp has died, which has been 3 times over the last few years I have lost my bookmark for the site.  Now I have it, forever in my blog whenever I may need it :).

Witches do you hear the call?

This is a link to a blog by Hecate.  Witches, do you hear the call?  I know I have and it's one of the reasons that my last ritual I sent energy to Gaia for her to use as she needs.  Our Earth Mother is going through some changes.  She needs us.

Think I got it right this time

The two jars in front, the short one is peppermint tincture made with 40% alcohol and the taller one is boneset also made with 40% alcohol.  :)

I got another package in the mail today from mountainroseherbs.com .

I feel like a little kid at christmas for real!!

New bottles

My daughter bought me these adorable bottles today!  I love them and can't wait to fill them with some herbal goodies.  Thank you my baby and I love you!

Also, I had mentioned in a previous post that I had made some tinctures with glycerine.  I posted this as a new topic at herbmentor.com and was so very gently schooled in lessons on chemistry.  I had gotten a little too excited and jumped the gun just a lil bit.  I am so thankful for the folks at herbmentor because they teach in such a way that is encouraging and makes you want to keep trying, not discouraging at all or judgemental.  A very positive atmosphere :).

New Tinctures

This is boneset made with glycerine.  Decided I would try glycerine first to see how it turns out.

This is peppermint, also made with glycerine.  This one smells sooo good.  The boneset, not so much.

These did prove to be easy to make the good ol' fashioned folk way.  I think the hardest part is going to be to remember when they are done.  Going to let peppermint sit for 2 weeks so my husband can start using it and then next batch will wait the 6 weeks.  I hope it works for him.

The boneset i made with the glycerine mostly because if any of my kids would like to give some to their babies it is alcohol free even though I know its only a small amount of alcohol, but still.  Plus I had the glycerine on hand ;).

Another Delivery

Boneset to make tinctures for cold, flu and fever reducer also decongestant :)

Yummy peppermint to make my husband a lil somethin for his stomach. <3

4 tincture bottles.

So very excited to finally be able to do these things for my family and me.  To be able to start eating healthier and putting healthier things in our bodies.  Still have alot of studying to do on anatomy, but I can learn it all at
herbmentor.com. 

oh...and my comp died on me :| so I am using a loaner which is fine.  You know, if its not one thing its a dozen others and I can live with this one.

My first herbal remedy

I decided to make some St. Johns Wort Oil with the St. Johns Wort that I had ordered.  I only made half of a batch just in cast I messed it up.

The directions said to cook on low for 3 hrs so I set temp to just below when little bubbles started to pop up and let it cook for the 3 hours stirring every so often to make sure it wasn't burning or sticking to the bottom.  It cooked just fine.  ~Little story about this stove.  I would almost put money on the fact that the last person to own this stove was a kitchen witch.  Anything we have every cooked on, or in the stove has come out delicious and perfect.~

Since I was going to be in and around the kitchen for awhile I cooked up a batch of flea spray for the furry babies.  This is just one lemon quartered, pour a pint of boiling water over the lemons and let the sit over night.  Simple and it works.
I also cleaned out my cabinets and the 3 drawers that I have, found my baby food jars that I thought I lost.  Threw away all kinds of crap and now I have organized drawers and cabinets once again.
But I still don't have a spell for tonight to use these pretty green candles that my son Josh got for me.

Here are some more pics of the process that I did in making my first herbal remedy.

Can't wait to make my peppermint ticture and boneset tincture, as well as using dandelion and burdock infusions daily!  Very excited!