Mabon blessings

Autumns change this year is proving to be quite hard for me. The Equinox tides are strong inside and have made me feel very emotional.

 I am not sure why this turn of the wheel is so hard, but it is.

 Is it the sudden change  from golden summer to autumns chill and damp?

 I have had a real longing  for Glastonbury, a real urge to go down and visit old haunts. But my sensible side reminds me that long journeys are still too painful for my new knee.

 Every journey hurts at the moment, even a short trip to the next county does it. So how a trip of 4 to 5 hours would be I have no idea. But I can guess.

 I have also had a need to be in amongst trees and ever changing colours, well it is autumn equinox after all.

 Yesterday was going to be that day but continual rain put paid to it. I am a little fair weather woods woman at the moment.

 I don't mind damp or very cold but rain takes the edge of it for me at the minute. Possibly the aching knee has something to do with that.

 As i sat in bed this morning doing my morning pages I could see sunlight so "to the woods" was the cry. I didn't know which woods or where but woods it had to be.

 I wanted to smell the leaf mold, and to taste the years turn on the back of my throat as I breathed deeply.

 I wanted to feel the leaves as the first ones dropped gently on to my upturned face.

 I wanted to sit against the trunk of a tree and still my breath to a slow,slow inhale then exhale and just be.

 No dashing, no anything but stillness amongst the trees. I may see the green man or I may see the goddess out the corner of my eye as she dances in her cloak of reds and golds.

 If I do I will feel truly blessed, but if I don't I will still feel blessed to be a part of natures turning glory.

 A true delight to have marked the Equinox and the turn of the wheel in a simple meaningful ceremony.

I will come home and feast on apples bright red ,from my daughters tree, baked into a golden crumble with oats local honey, nuts and spices. I made her and my grandsons some apple strudel and an apple crumble for their freezer last week as part payment. I have promised another pudding in due course.

 Well I did most of that:) and as you can see collected some of Gaia's bounty to return home with.

 over 2.5 kg of blackberries that are now resting in the freezer until needed.

I have also prepared another large carrier bag of apples,they have been peeled ,baked in the oven with local honey and now are frozen in bags for later in the winter to remind me of the Equinox day we have just had. I've two more large carrier bags of apples to do over the next few days and a friend has also dropped off a large bag of plums from his tree. I swapped him those for a plum crumble and a beef and beetroot curry for his tea.

A fair exchange  for both of us.
So how did you celebrate the Equinox?

Little altars everywhere

I read a book with the above title many moons ago .The book did nothing for me but the title obviously stuck:)

We have been having an autumnal clear out and move round and after doing this the above phrase came into mind. I hadn't realised how many little altars there were around the house.

 All hold things of meaning to me or us. The amethyst in here given by a friend who passed away a few years ago and the goddess pendant from the same person. The bowl was from a craft exchange some years ago and holds affirmation cards from another friend.

 The goddess in here lost her arms in accidents a long time ago but is no less dear to me. Mr Mog needle felted the sheep for me.

 The shrines were made by me a long while ago and the goddess came from a charity shop and I painted her. The pledge stick was made for me by Mr Mog.

 Hares are special to me and I love this set of oracle cards from Hannah Willow

 Some of my  tarot packs.

 I made this nest from some of my hand dyed and unspun fibres, it was going to be a bowl but when I added the magpie card it became a nest.

 gifts and wheels, what more could you want:)

 I purchased this last year at Mogfest from a very creative friend.

 Yet more birds watching over the Buddha figure

 this altar holds my card a day and items made for me in the main by Mr Mog or gifted by friends

 Wood I love

 This is our incense cupboard that the Buddha guards, full of oils and ingredients for making incense. open the doors and the smell is out of this world

 Transformation butterfly

Colour lifts my spirits.

Not all were set up as altars but as I looked around I realised that they were because they reflect us both  spiritually and  creatively .

Wow 8th August already

 

8th August 2013 and a long while since i have written but the urge is upon me once more.

 My head has been full.  In part all that has happened - my knee replacement, all the drugs and all the pain then the subsequent withdrawal symptoms from giving up 3 different painkillers.

 But full also with the promise of Autumn. The inward journey toward the self and the dark magic as opposed to the light nature magics.


The balance of the dark side. Not dark evil but dark being the more spiritual magic as opposed to the nature and outward practical side.

 The first smell of Autumn's chill in the evening twilight or taste of her glory on dawn's first light.
She calls me, beckons me.
To reread old and new tomes. Although these are peoples perceptions of the magical path not the only way. But they are interesting none the less.

For me the magical path is the journey. No instant enlightenment from within the pages of a book, but a reminder to me certainly that it is the journey that is important, never the destination. 

 For if we concentrate on just that to the exclusion of the truly magical path and journey we take then we lose sight of who and what we are.

 Journey is the key for me.

Roads can vary from old sheep tracks to the super fast multi lane motorways and so too can our journey.

 Being human means our journey can meander through good, bad, dreadful, fantastic, nightmare and joy. It is a spiral never a straight trip.

  And when we lose sight of where we want to be we have to remind ourselves that it IS a spiral. The next turn or bend of the road will be different.

 We all lose our way, the key I think, is not to treat it as an end.

 Searching or not the road is always moving..

 I've had my tarot packs out also, they too call at this time of the year and remind me to explore them.

I always keep the same pack on my altar and each morning shuffle then take the top card.

Its meaning isn't always apparent immediately,  but the past week while these thoughts were uppermost, I have drawn the magician twice and fortuneteller twice.

They reinforce my next part of the path. 

The magician in this particular pack I take as change and the fortune teller as inward spiritual journeying .

It helps to have the confirmation if it were needed. My other packs are also old friends and these I read for myself in the main.

We approach Mr Mog's birthday and although no Mogfest this year - Mogfest2 - The Return is already at the planning stage:)
Mr Mog continues to respond favourably to the drug trial which makes me very glad as you can imagine.

Oh and me?
knee replacement was 7 weeks ago and it has been very traumatic and painful but I hope it will continue to improve.
One joint then less to worry about. I have lost 2 stone since Yule and almost 1.5 stone of that since April with the help of slimming world.

I needed to lose some weight for the operation but I am continuing because I would very much like to be nearer my old weight.
And you?
How are things with you all?
I have barely dipped into my blog list with these past few months but hope to call and say hello to you all soon.

Full moon blessings

It's almost midnight and I have just been outside gazing at the full moon above the house. She rose in all her glory and has no clouds to mar her beauty. I sit here in the conservatory with her light now shining strongly on me and feel refreshed and revived with her energy. I give thanks for the light, for the energy she brings to us.
It has been some time since I blogged and I apologise to all the people who messaged to ask if I was ok. It has been a hard winter and a harder spring. I was supposed to have my knee replaced back in April and it was cancelled at the last minute. My weight was high and my BMI not what it should be . I have been dieting and 3 weeks ago joined slimming world to help me with my task . I do struggle as I can't exercise of course. I had lost some weight on my own and in the 2 weigh ins at slimming world have lost 4 pounds, bringing a total to date of around 9 pounds. I am not trying for crash diets but to eat healthily and  lose weight and keep it off.
My operation is scheduled for just after summer solstice and I can't wait . I have been in so much extra pain with this knee that to have just that one pain go will be a relief. The surgeon and I have talked long and hard about the operation and I know it won't help my mobility but is being done strictly for the pain relief. As I said to him the pain on top of all the rest is just too much:(  I do manage the usual pain to the best of my ability but one little bit too much tips the balance.
Mr Mog is doing brilliantly and the oncologist is pleased with his progress. She has asked us to write down any diet, supplement or other things we do as she says it could benefit other cancer patients. On this trial out of 7 or 8 people on it locally only 2 are responding favourably and Mr M is doing best of all. So glad she persuaded him to go for it.
 On that positive note I will close for tonight, hopefully I can get back In to blogging, I miss my writing.
May the Lady moons light shine blessings upon you x

My poem for Brighid 8th annual poetry slam

8th annual poetry for Brighid event.

My offering (without the music) is from Rush and is their battle of the trees. One of my favourite tracks.

There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble with the trees,
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.

The trouble with the maples,
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made.
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade.

There is trouble in the forest,
And the creatures all have fled,
As the maples scream "Oppression!"
And the oaks just shake their heads

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights.
"The oaks are just too greedy;
We will make them give us light."
Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.