Harvest And Hearth

Photo by trea-silverwolf.deviantart.com

Autumn is here. Yes, it is my favourite time of the year. I always feel closer to home and hearth. Now I know I'm a few weeks late for my sabbat check in, but life has been quite busy. The Goddess has blessed me with a new job in my field of study and it tends to take up most of my time. 

Mabon actually got me thinking about my own project ideas this year. Usually I look through Llewellyn's Sabbat Almanac for ideas on how to celebrate the sabbats, but I did several of the ideas in the 2013 Mabon section last year when I did not have access to my library and picked the 2013 copy up early. Thus I wanted to do something new this year and with my busy schedule came up with the idea of a sabbat candle. 

The sabbat candle is simply an offering candle that you dress with herb and oils that correspond to the sabbat and then burn the candle daily until the next sabbat when you make another one. For mine Mabon candle I used cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange and ginger oils. The candle is quite fragrant and I can feel the energy of the Lord and Lady that it brings to my home.

Mabon candle and Autumn bouquet.

I plan on doing this simple yet powerful offering for every sabbat from now on. Now back to my books so I can start planning Samhain ahead of time.

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.

Seasons Shifting to Ponder

Blessed Beltane to all!

That said, I'm under the weather sick with a sore throat and congested head. Sitting on the couch reviewing blogs and articles while drinking tea and trying to make everything above my shoulders stop hurting was not how I had planned to spend today. Now onto something I did want to do today.

Ever since I was introduced to Paganism and began researching Sabbats and such I noticed that the "accepted" change in seasons here in California (and to some extent Washington State as well) seem to follow the Sabbats, not the Solstices and Equinoxes. What I mean by this is rather then summer starting on June 20/21 like everyone says, I believe it actually starts here around May 1. That's the time that the world really begins to warm up and come fully alive.

This same 6-week push forward of the seasonal changes I have noticed can also be applied to spring, fall and winter as well. Spring always seems to take effect in February, just in time for Imbloc. Winter always comes around the time of Samhain. Fall is the tricky one as the Bay Area experiences an Indian Summer in September and October. However, if I go by the fact that the leaves on the trees start to change colors and it gets a bit blustery in August, fall also fits this pattern.

Additionally it makes more sense tome that the fire festivals are in the summer season and all of the harvest festivals are in the fall season. The dark time of the year should encompass the winter and the return of the light should herald the spring. After all, the Wheel of the Year is supposed to represent the cycle of life, for both us and the God and Goddess, and if we go by the established secular/Christian cycle everything is slightly skewed.

I hope your Beltane brings the warmth of the Sun to you. Blessed Be.

The World Awakens

The wheel turns and the seasons change. The light that returned to the world at Imbolc has grown and the signs of new life are everywhere. I love love watching the trees outside my house at this time of year. They blossom and then the petals fall off only to be replaced by new leaves. All the new green and freshly opened flowers tell me one thing: Ostara is on the way.

Living in the Bay Area, we barely have what most people would call a winter. The trees barely loose all their leaves before they start to regrow them. But our elongated spring has one advantage, we can easily take note of all the little changes occurring in nature without being overwhelmed by them. And this year I have been making an extra effort to notice these small changes in the world around me. As a result, I am mildly consumed by an interest in having a really good Ostara celebration this year. In fact, it mirrors the same drive I had to celebrate Mabon six months ago. And that seems fitting to me.

Scouring the web and any books I don't have packed away in another state for Ostara ideas has been very fulfilling. Although I've mostly come across topics saying to paint eggs, hold an egg hunt, etc., there have been a few interesting ideas. Planting seeds during ritual, making an offering spot in your garden, remembering Persephone's return from the Underworld have all been ideas that have interested me. Especially the planting and gardening. (I have been wanting a garden for many years and actually have an idea on how to have a successful window garden that is cat proof.)

We'll just have to wait three weeks and see where the Goddess guides me.

Lunar Chaos and Winter Retreats

Winter Moon

As much as I love the Moon (as a kid I wanted to be an Apollo astronaut when I grew up, moonstone is my gemstone of choice, etc) the passing of a full moon always seems to bring a bit of chaos to my life. Last night was the Snow Moon and while yesterday was nice a peaceful, this morning has been quite chaotic. I feel klutzier than normal. Timing things is not working in my favor. And the one thing I really want to do on my day off I keep getting interrupted when I try to do—study magic and paganism.

The last one probably bothers me the most. The others are all trivial and in the long run won't matter. But having a good environment to study my craft is important for both learning the material correctly and for my mental well being. I've noticed that my studies bring me a peace of mind I have a hard time finding in our chaotic little house. They also remove me from the craziness of out modern, digitally driven world. And trust me, that can be a very hard thing to accomplish with 4 people running in and out of the kitchen you use as a study.

Recently we took a trip up to the Tahoe area for a few days. Staying in the cabin in the snow was wonderful for the most part. I was granted sight of the beauty that the goddess' touch leaves on the world in early morning. The cabin we were at was next to a creek. Meditating beside the creek and taking in the natural world was wonderful. However, any peace I tried to carve out was constantly shattered by my roommate's 3 year old daughter he brought on the trip. Granted, he was the organizer of the trip and had the cabin connection, but when there's only one kid and the rest of the people are unmarried and childless for a reason, this makes for a less than relaxing vacation.

One thing I did get out of that trip was a huge resurgence in my desire to study the devine and strengthen my connection with the Lady and Lord. I should probably take note from a post I came across this morning on the blog A Heathen's Path regarding Practice Makes Perfect. The post discusses making time and finding ways to observe our spiritual traditions in a world that consumes all our free time and doesn't reflect our beliefs. My efforts so far have been to read blogs and other sources regarding rituals, sabbats, spells, lore, etc. while having breakfast, maintaining a small altar space on the table I use as a desk, taking note of the blossoms and leaves on the trees outside my window, etc. It does bring me peace to notice these things, I just wish I had more time to devote to them. As the title of that post says practice makes perfect and in time, with some dedication, I'm sure I can settle into a few routines of my own.

Light in the Darkness

Imbolc Altar

Two sabbats have come and gone since my last post. I had a wonderful little Yule set up on my table and found the perfect bouquet of flowers for Imbolc. Sadly I was not as actively involved with each sabbat as I would have liked. I got sucked into helping my roommate buy gifts for his daughter for Christmas and ended up pulling extra shifts at work on Imbolc. Perhaps Ostara will see me with a bit more time for observance here at home.

However, I am going to the Sierras this weekend for a few days and think that I will take the opportunity to welcome the light back to the world while I am there. This will also be the first time I have had the opportunity to preform a ritual or observance in the snow. The Bay Area rarely gets any snow and it's never truly that cold or dark. Also, I'm turning 30 this year and I feel that I should dedicate my time and effort to improving myself, my relationships and my life. Last summer's trip to Milsap Bar on the Feather River was rejuvenating and allowed me to get in touch with a specific aspect of nature. I feel that getting in touch with another aspect of nature will only open me up further to my own spiritual growth.

Now to look up some rituals (outdoor preferably) that are meant for a snowy place and welcome the light back into the world.

Going from Maiden to Mother Mode

My house is a bit of a circus. I live with three guys and two cats full time, with a girlfriend, a wee person (one of the guy's three year old daughter) and an Italian Greyhound here half of the time. If the house wasn't entertaining enough with the two cats before hand, well there's never a dull moment now. And it's not a big bouse either. Only two bedrooms and one bath room. At least the living room is rather large as one of the guys lives in it and we still have enough room for everyone to use it as a living room.

The craziness of the living situation has brought me to terms with something I only have a few years left to get started on: motherhood.

I still think of myself as young person but the truth is I'm pushing 30. Not saying 30 is old, but I know that once you pass 35ish the riskier it is to have children of your own. Now I'm not married yet and the other half has stated that he's fine with being an older father. Plus, our career, financial and living situations are not what we would want if we did decide to have children. Several time throughout the last year I've been asked how long we've been married or how many kids we have and most of the time it hasn't made me think twice. But with our 1 year anniversary of being an official couple (long story, but it only took 4 years for that to happen) and the roommate moving in as part of the divorce process from his wife and me getting to help with the little one really has me thinking about kids and what kind of mom I'd be.

There are thing you make note of as you grow up of what you do and do not want to repeat with your kids. Despite my normal adversion to children I have been keeping a list of my own. I know I want my kids to be in Scouts (both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts) as I like the opportunities my brother and I had as a result of being involved with them. I'd like to get my kids into wall climbing and maybe yoga. (Talk about cool physical activities that don't make you feel like you suck because you can never hit the ball when at bat!) I also know that I don't want to force a specific religion on my children. Rather I want to expose them to a variety of belief systems and teach them to decide and choose for themselves. However, I know that I want to observe pagan celebrations and involve them in it.

Yes, that is forcing a specific set of religious beliefs on them, but I feel that the pagan wheel of the year lines up better with secular seasonal observances than anything else. Plus the Wheel of the year is a great way to teach kids about the seasons and introduce them to different activities associated with each. And helping my roommate celebrate the holidays with his daughter is making me want one of my own. I know I'm not ready to pass into the cycle of life where one enters the aspect of the Mother from that of the Maiden, but life seems to be telling me it's time.

Seasons Change

It's now officially October and while the rest of the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying cooler weather, here in the San Francisco Bay we are enjoying Indian Summer. That right, October hits and we start setting records for the highest temperatures reached this year. Yes, they days are getting shorter and the nights longer, but how is one supposed to celebrate the onset of the darker time of year when it's still 80 degrees out at 11pm? What's even more perplexing is that leaves on trees are changing colors and falling off just like they're doing everywhere else.

Most of what I have learned indicates that pagans and witches are now preparing to settle in for the winter and are focusing on home and hearth more and more. Yet, here it's extremely difficult to. My house is currently too hot to fire up the oven and bake and the temperature calls for iced tea rather than spiced cider. Autumn is my favorite time of the year and thus I am sad that I cannot observe it the way I would like. Yet, there are little things I can do. For example, consuming fruits of the season such as pomegranates, figs and apples, buying pumpkins and placing them around the house in preparation for Samhain, and collecting leaves and making decorations with them. I just wish I could start wearing sweaters, boots and scarves while enjoying the richness and warmth of the season.

Mabon Thoughts

Mabon, the Moon Festival, however you want to call it, the Autumn Equinox is here.

There are lots of traditions surrounding the equinox and the last harvest. San Francisco is currently holding the Autumn Moon Festival in Chinatown as a way of celebrating the Chinese observance of the last harvest of the summer. In more European traditions people are observing Persephone's transition from this world to the Underworld. Those who follow more Celtic ways see this as a time related to Mabon and Madron. Now matter what you believe, there is something to celebrate and observe at this time of year.

Fall has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I love the weather starting to turn and the ground fog that it brings here to California. (Ironically here in the Bay Area ,where I now live, Fall means the fog goes away until Winter brings it back.) The leaves start to turn and if you go for a bike ride you can enjoy aiming for the biggest ones and making them crunch under your tire. (This is a pleasure I got to indulge in from childhood through college.)

As I'vee been exploring Paganism and Witchcraft I have been trying to make and effort to more actively observe each Sabbat in the Wheel of the Year. And the Equinox today was no exception. Mabon is a time to focus on the home and balance within yourself. This is a reflection of the balance between day and night that is achieved today. It's also the signal that the seasons are changing, as we welcome Fall and say goodbye to summer.

My efforts this year to observe Mabon have been fairly interesting. I spent a fair amount of time over the last two weeks researching the Sabbat and figuring out how I can easily observe it while living with 4 other people at my boyfriend's house. I don't know how all of the feel about Pagan beliefs and rituals,  so I wanted to find something I could do that was symbolic of the change as well as giving myself a way to show my thanks and appreciation for the bounty of summer. What I came up with was making an Autumn lantern, which incorporates leaves and allows me to channel my energy into the work.

Autumn Lantern using leaves and wax paper.

As an Aries I have a strong connection to the element of fire. I've always enjoyed burning candles and my favorite childhood memories come from sitting in front of the wood burning stove in my parent's living room. Plus, with the onset of the dark time of the year, we will often find ourselves turning to the Lord and Lady for guidance in these dark times. Thus using fire and candles to honor the season made sense to me.

I'm constantly trying to find balance between my spiritual life and my mundane one, so when the two come closer together it's a beautiful thing. Last night while I was reading about Mabon lore, my boyfriend asked me about what I was reading and then commented that he wished he knew more about Pagan holidays and the Wheel of the Year. I don't expect him to become Pagan just because I am, but it makes me incredibly happy that I don't have to hide my beliefs from him and that he's actually supportive of my beliefs.

I know I've rambled on and I've tried to keep it flowing. For me part of the balance of Mabon is the reflection on my life and this entry is my way of doing just that. And with that Happy Mabon and blessed be!

Autumn Thoughts

With Mabon approaching I have been trying to do some research in preparation for the coming change of season. Yes, I know that Mabon is not traditionally considered a major sabbat outside of the states, but I feel that the significance behind it is important. All too often in modern society we forget to be thankful for the bounty that the Earth gives to us. With the assault on our senses that digital media and technology combine with our societal push to consume everything that we can there is almost no room for reflection and thanksgiving in modern life.

Autumn has always been a time of  re-energizing myself and of creative stimulation. I have the most drive of the entire year during autumn. It is a season of hard work to prepare for the coming of winter and a time of reflection on how far we have come during the last year. This year I want to capitalize on the changes I have made this year and to show my thanks for all that I am blessed with. I think these are appropriate goals and attitudes going into this season.