The Next Chapter: Solstice

I have noticed that I seem to have an internal clock for sabbats. I get busy with various things until a few days before and then something sparks my recognition of what time of the year it is. Like now for instance, talking to the other half last night about the four elements reminded me that the Solstice is only two days away. (I live on the West Coast so it occurs at 10pm for me, although I'll most likely observe it all day Friday.) This means I need to figure out how I'm going to be celebrating this year.

One thing I do every year, and it helps me learn and understand the sabbats and my relation to them, it buy Llewellyn's Sabbats Almanac. Now don't judge me for buying from Llewellyn, but I find the almanac is a great way to learn about how different people celebrate the different sabbats. Here's some of the activities I've done inspired by what I've read from these books: three years ago I made a wish box and wrote down what I wanted to manifest in my life, two years ago I started setting out gifts of milk and honey for the fae folk upon learning more about their connection with Litha, last year I slacked at Midsummer (I was in a slump and wouldn't climb out of it until closer to Mabon.) Those are just a few of the examples.

Another reason I like the Sabbats Almanac is that it changes form year to year. Most of my books on magical subjects don't have any new information every year. Once printed, the words don't change. My understanding of them might, but the words themselves don't. I do go back and review my old almanacs to see if I might interpret what they say in a different way or if they have an observance that I am living in a place more suited for.

That said, I'm off to go plan my sabbat celebration. Also, I really like this gal's get-up at the Stonehenge  Solstice observance from 2011.

Fire Burning in the Heart

I have been horrible about updating this and keeping to my spiritual development. For awhile I felt like perhaps I was losing interest in witchcraft, but the recent trip I took to see my parents combine with my experiences at the Berkeley Pagan Festival this year have reminded me how much witchcraft speaks to my soul and brings me comfort.

At the festival I remember being quite moved by a specific speaker who was talking about how other people who don't understand witches and pagans tend to judge us unfairly when all we want is to live in harmony with what nature gave us and happily worship our gods and our trees. (That's the simplified version that I remember.) Then I spent three weeks with my parents in Washington. This being my very Catholic parents. My dad is less strict than my mom, who thinks that every idea that doesn't line up with Catholicism is "new age" or "occult" even though I doubt she really knows anything about witchcraft or paganism. I have made it no secret that I have pagan friends and I'm sure it makes her a bit uncomfortable, but every time she starts going off about Wicca, witchcraft or paganism I feel uncomfortable as I know she is unfairly judging something she doesn't not know much, if anything about.

That being said, now that I'm home and with Litha fast approaching I feel as though I need to renew my own commitment to my spirituality and Litha provides a perfect opportunity for this. Sadly this year I do not have access to a fireplace and I'm not sure my landlord would appreciate me lighting a firepot in his yard, so my celebration will have to rely less on large scale fires (would be so cool) and more on observances, small fires, and things that represent fire. Thinking about how I can go about doing this makes me feel at peace with myself and isn't that what religion and spirituality are supposed to bring out in you?