Bring a little friendship

This morning as I was reading Facebook I came across a sister witch who felt abandoned by her friends.  She was asking for help, a ritual to bring new friends into her life.  It got me to thinking about how often we have all been there.  For one reason or another, we feel alone and abandoned.  And one of the most comforting things to do is to retreat back to our beliefs and ask to not be alone.  I am starting to think that it isn't love or fear or grief that is the most powerful emotion but loneliness.

I was struck by her plight and able to come up with a spell.  As I told her, and I hope with all the spells that are found here, only use this for inspiration.  The most potent magick is that which you write yourself because it has your emotions, your desires, and your correspondences in it.  It is what you believe.  In fact, I had a hard time writing the end of this spell.  Following a Christian path, mine always end with thanking the Son as well, but this person does not follow a Christian path.

Friendship Spell

Set your altar as you normally would.
Start with opening your circle, call to the Goddess and God, invite the elements.
Light a pink, brown or white candle. Look into the candle and see yourself with your new friends. See yourselves out laughing and having fun, comforting each other in times of sorrow, helping with each other's children, your children playing together. Be careful to not see the faces because these are yet unknown people to you.  Say the following:

Some have left and gone away, I do not wait another day. Their friendship gone, time has past and left a space for friendship that will last. I call to those who want the same, though I do not know your name. An ye harm none, by the breath of air, the wave of water, the mountain of earth, and the sun of fire, Lady and Lord, as I will so mote it be.

Finish by thanking those attending and closing your circle.


*Image from Words To Inspire the Soul facebook page

Yule/Christmas Ritual

Yule (Dec 24 at sunset through Dec 25 at  sunset*) -

The God's Son is born!  With His arrival He brings His Father's light back to the Earth.  The Goddess begins to awaken and care for Her newborn Child.  The God continues to protect both Mother and Child from above while His plan unfolds on Earth.  On Earth, Mother Mary is consumed with the Holy Spirit who gives her the wisdom to raise and teach Her Child.

*The date on Yule is difficult to place.  Three dates could easily be used: the day of the Winter Solstice, the Catholic day (above), or the Orthodox day which is generally January 7 or 8. Whatever fits your walk the best is the best one to use.

History -

For centuries the return of the light has been celebrated in many religions.  Among the many holidays are Christmas, Hanukkah, and Yule.  All are celebrated at a different time but are celebrated as holidays of light.  In the Christian religion the Light is the Son of God.  In the Pagan religion it is the light of the sun that is returning.  As Christianity started to spread, many Pagan rituals became incorporated as part of Christmas.  The history of Christmas is well documented but a good synopsis is at Wikipedia.  From the Celtic religion there is also the story of the Oak and Holly kings.  The Oak King battles the Holly King and in the end rings a new light to the world.

Decorations -

Traditional decorations for Christmas are evergreens, holly, candles.  The colors of red and green abound.  Pine cones and stars are wonderful decorations as well.  A nativity scene with the Holy Family can be the centerpiece decoration.  A decorated tree is also a tradition. 

Rituals -

There are many rituals that can be observed for Yule.  Gift giving, family dinners, and celebrations all figure into the wonderful meaning of the season which focuses on family.

When decorating with a live tree remember to say a blessing over the tree and thank it for bringing its beauty to you.  An easy blessing would be:

Evergreen that has come to me

Beauty you bring for all to see

Lights upon your branches foretell

Longer days and warmth so well

Thank you for being part

Of the festival in my heart

By earth, air, fire, water

I bless you.

Rituals that focus on family and the home are wonderful this time of year.  A simple family ritual would be to get a cauldron and a small paper for everyone.  Write or draw your wishes for each other.  Light a candle in the cauldron and form a circle around it.  Go around the circle and have everyone tell what they thought of and put the paper in the cauldron.

For a simple solitary ritual get a broom and white candle.

Open a circle as appropriate for your tradition and invite the Lord, Lady, and elements that you wish.

Light the candle and say:

Lady above, out of the darkness you have brought forth light.

While sweeping say:

I gather the darkness and night and sweep them to the light.

Sweep for as long as feels right.  Replace your broom and say:

I welcome back to earth the Son

The love and light that comes from the One

Lady of Love your Child comes this night

Never remove him from our sight

Bless him by earth, water, fire, and air

On this night so fair

Thank the Lord and Lady and elements for attending and close the circle.  Do not hesitate to go to Church to celebrate the birth.

Samhain Ritual

Samhain (Oct 31 at sunset through Nov 1 at sunset) -


The God has withdrawn to the Heavens and become the protector of the Goddess as She sleeps waiting to give birth to His child.  Her sadness at the separation from Him and her Son drives Her to slumber as the Crone.  The God's child steadily grows within Her, waiting to return to Earth.  The last of the crops are gathered in as part of the final harvest festival.  Our ancestors are honored as angels and agents of God, protecting and helping us from afar as God does the Goddess.

History of Samhain -
Samhain (pronounced "sow-en") has long been considered a time to honor ones ancestors.  Plates of food would often been left outside for the souls of the dead.  Candles would be placed in windows to guide these souls to the land of the dead.  While these souls roamed the Earth, it was tradition to carve a  gourd or small pumpkin to carry with you and in it place a light to confuse any malicious spirits one would meet.  The viel between the world of the living and dead is at its thinnest and communication with the ancestors the easiest it will be during the year.

At the same time this is a celebration of the New Year.  The Harvest is now complete and all the crops are gathered in.  A season of the hearth and home is upon us.

Decorations -

Any type of Harvest decoration is appropriate.  Colors of orange, black, and maroon invoke the autumn colors.  Apples, pumpkins, pomegranates, and gourds help to decorate the home and altars.

Rituals - 

The Samhain Ritual can be as simple or elaborate as you like.  It can invoke both the new year and wishes for what is to come as well as reverence for what has been.  Here are a few elements that can be included in your normal ritual style.

A very simple idea for Ancestor Meditation is a very powerful way to connect with your ancestors.  Take time to connect with them on Earth through pictures and mementoes of them.  Allow your heart and head to wander through memories of those who have gone before you.  Think about who you are and how your ancestors have formed you.  Then, recite your genealogy and describe each person you know.  Be sure to thank all those who re unknown to you.

Focus also on the new year.  Think of the last twelve months, what you liked and did not.  On a small piece of paper write what you would like to come within the next year.  Build a small fire or light a candle in your cauldron.  Light the paper on fire and allow it to burn in the cauldron while reciting:

Lady and Lord above
Hear these words
As I start this year in love.
My wishes for the coming year
I send to the winds
Help me see the intentions through
With earth, air, fire, water
By the love of your Son to come
As I will so mote it be.

Thank the Lord and Lady for the coming year and for their part in the unending Wheel.  Honor the fact that God has gone to be with those in the heavens for a time.  Celebrate with family and friends in the normal manner for Halloween as well.  If you belong to a Church that has services on this day to honor the Saints, do not hesitate to attend them.  It only furthers the rituals you have already done.

The Wheel of the Year

As I stated on the Facebook page I intend to publish a series on holiday rituals this year.  That starts with the Wheel of the Year for how I celebrate the Christian Wiccan holidays and how I tie them all together.  It actually makes sense when you really think about it.  First a listing of the major Wiccan holidays and their corresponding Christian holidays:

Holidays
Christian	Wiccan
All Saints Day	Samhain
Christmas	Yule
Candlemas	Imbolc
Easter	Ostara
Annunciation	Beltane
St. John's Birth	Lithia
Lammas	Lammas
No corresponding holiday	Mabon

Each Wiccan holiday, save one, has a corresponding Christian holiday.  I am not going to debate if this was done intentionally to Christianize the Pagans.  It is was it is, they are celebrated by both and therefore allow for great celebration among Wiccans who have adopted the Christian Trinity.

My personal belief is that within the Christian Trinity the Holy Spirit is female.  This is the subject of an entirely different post that still needs to be written but that is my belief.  Others adopt Mary, Mother of Jesus, or Mary Magdalene as Goddess.  There are many that can be Goddess.  However, whoever Goddess is she has these traits:

• She is the maiden, mother, and crone
• She is love and fertility
• She is wisdom, teaching, and justice

The God is God.  He is the ever living God who is the Creator.  His story is told by man in the Bible.  He is One with the Holy Spirit.  He has the following traits:

• He is knowledge and power
• He is judgement
• He is protection and comfort

The God is the consort of the Goddess and in turn the Goddess is the consort of the God.

The Wheel of the Year turns as follows:

Samhain (Oct 31 at sunset through Nov 1 at sunset) -

The God has withdrawn to the Heavens and become the protector of the Goddess as She sleeps waiting to give birth to His child.  Her sadness at the separation from Him and her Son drives Her to slumber as the Crone.  The God's child steadily grows within Her, waiting to return to Earth.  The last of the crops are gathered in as part of the final harvest festival.  Our ancestors are honored as angels and agents of God, protecting and helping us from afar as God does the Goddess.

Yule (Dec 24 at sunset through Dec 25 at  sunset*) -

The God's Son is born!  With His arrival He brings His Father's light back to the Earth.  The Goddess begins to awaken and care for Her newborn Child.  The God continues to protect both Mother and Child from above while His plan unfolds on Earth.  On Earth, Mother Mary is consumed with the Holy Spirit who gives her the wisdom to raise and teach Her Child.

*The date on Yule is difficult to place.  Three dates could easily be used: the day of the Winter Solstice, the Catholic day (above), or the Orthodox day which is generally January 7 or 8. Whatever fits your walk the best is the best one to use.

Imbolc (Feb 1 at sunset through Feb 2 at sunset) - 

The winter has ended!  The Child of God continues to grow under the guidance of His Mother and protection of His Father.  His light is starting to shine on the World.  The Goddess starts to let Him make His own way into the World to start His teachings in the tradition of His Father.  As the first fertility holiday, the Goddess moves toward Maiden as She prepares to become the Bride of the God again as Her Son finds His way without Her on His path as laid out by His Father.

Ostara (as set by the Church for Easter, sunset the night prior through the day's sunset) -

The light and darkness is equal at this time.  On Earth the light is proven equal to the darkness as The Child of God is crucified.  However, spiritual light overcomes darkness as Jesus conquers the world of the dead and rises, eventually taken to Heaven.  Here He awaits the union of the God and Goddess. The God comforts the Goddess through Her sadness.  Her tears fall to the Earth as rain.  They are bittersweet tears, for She knows that all humans must die but the conquering of the darkness gives Her hope.  New life starts to come from the Earth as it celebrates light overcoming darkness.  As the second fertility holiday, the God returns to the Goddess to comfort and court Her again, to show His love and tenderness for the world.

Beltane (Apr 30 at sunset through May 1 at sunset) -

The God and Goddess once again are united!  This is the third fertility holiday, celebrating the union of the God and Goddess in love.  The Baby is conceived during this time.  The Earth starts to produce more as the warmth of the love of the God and Goddess is evident.

Lithia (the eve before the Summer Solstice through the day's sunset) -

The Sun is at the peak of its power.  The God continues to be with his Bride and the earth remains fertile.  The fires originally lit on Beltane are lit once again to celebrate the light of God.

Lammas (July 30 at sunset through August 1 at sunset) -

Lammas is the first of the harvest festivals.  The grain is gathered in and loaves of bread are made and shared in celebration.  The God is needing to return to His place in the Heavens while the Goddess remains near the Earth to guide mankind as She may.  He spends more time away from Her and His light is felt less on the earth, but as a protector He always remains.

Mabon (the eve before the Autumn Equinox through the day's sunset) - 

This is the second of the harvest festivals, celebrating the vine harvest and wine.  God's presence is apparent on the Earth but weaker as He moves more toward being the protector above.  The Goddess, though sad, is comforted by the growing Child within Her, knowing the special role He will play in Her calling.  She continues in Her role as the Holy Spirit, guiding and teaching those on earth who wish to follow God's will.  She is the Great Mother who perseveres in guiding man to God as She moves toward becoming the Crone. 

A Ritual Bath

Many years ago every Friday night instead of going out I would stay home and take a purifying bath, one that was set to ground me and lighten my spirits at the same time.  It was a wonderful ritual that I have often thought of restarting.  The bath included:

a handful of either rose or lavender, for purification, happiness, and tranquility
a handful of salt, for grounding
one glass of wine, for happiness and elation

The wine gets poured in the water along with the salt and herbs.  Soak for a while.  Done regularly it is a wonderful ritual which allows you to center after a long week and prepare yourself for the weekend ahead.

As the year draws to an end...

Mabon is over and the wheel continues to turn.  I read this morning that a sense of foreboding is coming across many.  For me it is as well but that sense is mixed with excitement.  When I started this blog it was with the intent of sharing information.  I have found that sometimes sharing information on Facebook is easier as a lot is contained in images that one comes across.  And today on my computer I found a lot!  But, the blog is much nicer when I want to share something in this format.

I am looking forward to the upcoming year.  As this year draws to a close I am starting to think of what the next year will bring.  Will I fulfill my goal of sharing the meanings of the Sabbats?  Will I remember to post the ways that I find to incorporate nature into my everyday life?

I look back on the year and think of what I have learned and accomplished.  I planted my first ever urban garden and had wonderful fresh vegetables this year.  Next year I hope for more.  I planted a new herb garden which provided me with amazing flavors all summer long.  And as the year draws to a close and I harvest the final fruits of the year, I see the many dried herbs on my counter and think of the power they will have going forward as I use them because I put the time and energy into creating them.

In the year to come I want to create a garden blessing for Ostera.  That was one thing I wanted to do badly this year but was so focused on getting the gardens in that blessing them never happened.  I want to write a thanking ritual for Mabon to thank the gardens for everything they have given me.  Although we tried to thank the gardens at every harvest sometimes the thought slips your mind.

I was to try to better honor my ancestors this Samhain.  Although I often celebrate it, the honor to those who have passed before me seems to be missing.  I want to correct that.  I look forward to celebrating Yule/Christmas/Hanukkah with my family.  We are very multicultural in our household.

I thank those who have followed this journey and hope that this coming year I can provide many more ideas, food for thought, and continue to share as I continue to learn.  Although it may be a few days late, I am thankful for the harvest and for my home and family.  But, I am also thankful to have a place to grow and share.  I look forward to the new year!

Where does God reside?

One of the complaints that I have heard from people about my path is that there is a Wiccan belief that the Divine resides in us all.  Many Christians will tell me how it is sacrilegious to believe that the Spirit of God resides within each of us.  How untrue this is!  The Bible gives many references to the Holy Spirit living within each of us.

I am reminded of an old song that I was taught in Sunday School when I was growing up, the refrain of which is:

The Church is not a building
The Church is not a steeple
The Church is not a resting place
The Church is the people

Going back to the Old Testament in Ezekiel the Bible states "And I will put my Spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:25-27).  In 1 Corinthians we are told that "God's Spirit dwells in you" (1 Corinthians 3:15-17).

Romans 8:11 takes this a step further and tells us that the only way we may live is the have the Spirit dwelling within us.

Given this confirmation from the Bible how is it wrong to believe that the Divine lives in each of us?  The Holy Spirit is a part of the Trinity therefore Divine!  To be baptized is to invite the Holy Spirit to reside in you.

I recognize the Divine within myself.  Does that make me Divine?  No, far from it.  And I have yet to meet a Pagan who states that they are the Divine because the Divine lives in them.  They are part of the Divine.  Just as all Christians are one in the body of Christ, Pagans are one with the Divine.

I will happily allow the Divine to live within me and to commune with my Spirit.  As those intertwine I only become closer to my Divine family and closer to all those who are also entwined with my Divine family.

Here, There, And Everywhere

I tend not to post when I have nothing good to say.  People don't want to listen to me complaining all day long.  Therefore, I tend to be quiet sometimes.  Take last month for example.  There has been a lot of strife in my family.  There is one member who has decided all of his problems are caused by others.  But, most often he believes they are caused by me.  I do feel bad for him; his mother died several years ago and I am his stepmother.  According to him I stole his father away from him and changed his father into someone unrecognizable.  The rest of the family can recognize his father, just not him.  It is also important to know that my stepson has three young children, while I have two youngsters of my own.

I expect that everyone is asking what this has to do with natural cleaning or being a Christian Witch.  I am actually not sure, but I did need that background out there for this post because this post is all about a strange happening this morning.  I have not practiced yoga in some time and when I awoke this morning decided I was going to take a half hour for this activity.  After a while of planks and warriors, down dogs and trees I settled in for meditation as I always do.  Perhaps I picked a bad song for my meditation but is was a bit upbeat.

Normally when I am in this state I attempt to be still and quiet, acknowledge whatever thought comes to mind and allow it to exit my mind.  This was not happening today as a thought fought through.  With this music as a soundtrack I was transported to a mystical world.

First I had bricks of white energy that I was building with.  I thought I was building a building but it turned out to be stairs.  After I climbed the stairs I came to a woods.  I ran along a path in the woods in traditional witches garb including the hat (it felt that the hat was very very important here).  It was as though the sky was green and there was mist along the ground.

I got to a sunny yet misty clearing and became very powerful.  Several times I collected energy and released it seeing it flow in and out of me as a large blue stream and surround me as a blue ball.  When I collected it I was able to collect it so that the ball of energy around me was completely internalized and when it was released it was an explosive stream of energy from my head, hands, and heart directed at the sky.

I ran some more and repeated this scene in the clearing until suddenly there was at least one young girl, a protege, with me.  I thought at first it was my daughter but then I realized it was not.  She and I hugged and I showed her how to handle the energy of the woods we were in.  Then, she was my daughter, and she and I laughed and sang and danced.  I started imparting secrets of the forest to my daughter.  She ran down the lane smiling and giggling.

Out of nowhere then was a dark presence, flying, bigger than a bird, smaller than a dragon.  It was very very dark.  It kept trying to shut out the light.  Every time it would try to come down toward me I would propel light and energy at it from the woods.  This happened three times before it seemed to subside and I came back to reality, seeing my third eye.

When I finally opened my eyes I had this strong feeling I need to do a spell for family harmony.  It is supposed to have incense in it.  I don't know what kind it is but I can smell it.  I know that I already own the incense but due to a failure to mark the bags I really don't know what it is.  It has a slight sandalwood resonance with much lighter flowery scents.  I feel like I am being guided here but I really have no idea what this could mean.

I am off to see what I can learn about harmony spells and how to do them without changing someone's free will.  Hopefully it will come to me what this all means but until then, I put it out for the world...

Mosquitos Everywhere

Back to the real topic of this blog: natural cleaning, remedies, and Christian Witchy living.  Enough with the failure and not being good enough because we all are.

I have a few friends who I believe may need this post.  One in particular, whom shall remain nameless, has apparently fallen in love with skyclad rituals.  As I would not recommend using many chemicals along all those sensitive areas (male or female) I figured it was a prime time to share the chemical-less mosquito repellent:

In a 16oz bottle combine:
15 drops lavender oil
4 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon juice

Fill the bottle with water.  Shake before applying.

A few homemade mosquito traps strategically placed may also help.  I found a good one on The Survivalist Blog.

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram yeast
1 2-liter bottle

Directions:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water.  Let cool.  When cold pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast to the brown sugar mixture.  There is no need to mix it. This is just used to create carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitos.
4.  Place the funnel part upside down into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.  This allows the mosquitos to fly in but not back out.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from where you plan to be.

I hope that these few ideas help to keep the bug population around your special place down and they leave you alone.  Enjoying outdoors is what summer is about!

Is failure a failure?

I have been thinking about this question a lot the past few days.  I know it doesn't really fit in with the topic of the blog but I feel as though I am being pushed to write it by that unknown entity.  So here is hoping that someone out there may need to read this.  Plus it follows up on my last post nicely.

We have a situation in my family right now where my step son is failing at a task.  He is failing miserably.  If it were school, he would have an F-.  I tried to help but wasn't in a position to do much.  My husband tried to help but no longer can.  I am the enforcer of the fact that we no longer can; therefore, I have become a Disney character - the evil step mom.  We tried, but helping was not teaching.

Over the weekend I had a conversation with my in-laws and they tried to tell me how it would be different if it was my own child because you never want to see your child fail.  I thought about it for a minute and then had to tell them, no, I would have the same attitude, maybe worse with my own children.  Of course I don't want to see them fail.  I don't want to see anyone fail.  But, failure is a part of life.  I think we have forgotten that.  Failure will happen.  My children will stay up too late and not study and get an F.  Should I go into school and complain to the teacher?  No.  I need to use the failure to teach my children how to make better decisions.

Remember, failure will happen.  The question is what will you do when it does?  Will you blame others, cry about it in your beer, and wait for someone else to pick up the pieces?  Or will you pick yourself up, examine what you did (or didn't do), examine your priorities, and set up a plan for success?  In the small failures that I expect from my children I really hope I can teach them to do the latter.  No one is going to succeed at everything they ever try.  Failure is a tool for teaching.  It is not the end but the beginning.

What do I do about the fact that my step son will no longer speak to me or his father?  Nothing.  What can I do?  I cannot control him.  I would love to talk to him but this is a failure of his emotions.  Either he will accept the fact that we can no longer help or he won't.  As I have said to my own children many times, "My job is not to be liked.  My job is to raise responsible members of society."  They may not like my teaching method but it is what it is.  Take the failure and learn from it.  Decide what is important and do it.  But don't blame others.  Only you can do what you set out to do.

Plan, prioritize, and find how to succeed and take responsibility!

Inadequacies

I am even finding the beginning of this post inadequate.  This is my third attempt to write my first paragraph.  There, I did it!

Often as I go through my day to day life I run into many places where I think, I should be doing better. Like right now I should be on my way to work but I am here writing instead.  It is probably good I was not on my way to work because an unexpected downpour came into being and I was able to frantically close all the windows in the house before it rained in.  That, by itself, is the message.  While we may think that we should be doing one thing, there is a reason we are not.  I choose today to believe that I stayed home for a reason.  Not only is that reason to share this with whoever happens to be reading this blog but to also close the windows so it did not rain in.

I have friends who post beautiful pictures on Facebook of altars and artwork that they have done; of wonderful scenery and places they have found.  My work seems to pail in comparison.  At least most of the time.  I am working on a book for myself.  And it is turing out beautiful.  But, I won't share most of it.  I did share the cover page and got some very positive response for it.  However, I don't want to be a show off, I don't want to burden my friends with having to respond about how nice they think it is.  Instead I focus on the negative of how my altar is not as beautiful, I could never make something as artistic as them.

In this season of growing, I think it is my attitude that needs to grow.  Instead of looking at my own work as inadequate, I should look to theirs for inspiration.  Instead of trying to banish the negativity caused by others, I should focus on banishing the negativity caused by myself.  I have learned a lot in the past few years.  The purpose of this blog is to share it.  Therefore, the only piece of true knowledge I give you today is this: you can only change yourself.  Promote what you want to see and who you want to be.  Do not let another's success feel like your failure.  We are here to help and support each other along our path, whatever that path may be.

Next time I post it will be more fun.  No more feeling like I can't do this.  I can write this blog and share what is in my head and heart.  What has you feeling inadequate and what can you do to change the situation for yourself?

I Must Be Crazy

One might ask the simple question of, "Why must you be crazy?"

You see, it is 5AM.  This would not be too bad had I not been awake since 2AM.  Personally, I like being fast asleep at 2AM.  And, try as I might, there was no sleep.  Therefore, I started working at 4AM.

I can see the question going through your minds, "What does this have to do with this blog?"

I'm not sure, except the fact that I think the reason I cannot sleep is it has been one of those weeks; months really which is why I haven't posted.  No one here wants to read my negativity.

I have had to be in a myriad of places and a little bundle of energy.  I have had so much stress that it was unbearable at times and I just cracked and felt the tears freely flow.  And now; now it is over.  With the exception of a fun-filled weekend this week's adventures have concluded and many other adventures are wrapping up as well.  I am wiped out but that excess energy is still flowing.

"Again," you ask.  "What has that to do with this blog?"

Simple.  I have used more magic this week than I have in the past several months.  And the more I use it the more it is coming to me. I am horrible at visualization.  I am a Taurus, an earth symbol.  I have little use for flighty things I can only see in my head.  I don't want to see it in my head, I want to touch it.  Yet today, in the midst of all the sadness and insanity, I found myself looking at a beautiful picture.  It is a beautiful magical clearing in the woods.  A circle that even just in a picture you can feel the positive energy flowing through the space.

The foreground of the picture is shadows, where you can tell there are great trees lining the place.  It is simply dirt with some grass growing.  On the right foreground nothing but that same.  The right background shows the trees.  It is the left of the picture that intrigues me.  In the middle of the background is on large tree with two branches that form an archway off the the left.  The branches are for some reason bare, given all the other leaves on the trees.  The left foreground has a beautiful maple branch with its leaves, so soft and inviting.  After taking all this in, that is when you see it.  Under the archway.  There are trees back there but the grass grows a bit taller.  Then you realize, this is where the light is coming from.  This is the place that has been put on this earth for some reason.  This circle of calmness and serenity gives way.  Although there is no indication you would need to, I could feel the leaves of a maple brush against my face as I followed this light.  Like Merida in Brave, following the Wisps, I saw myself peering, creeping, wondering, what is in the light?  What could be just beyond this archway?  This inviting, loving archway.  And why the dichotomy?  You see, the light is outside this wonderful, powerful circle.  Why isn't the light in the circle, in the shadows where the rituals take place?  I saw myself slowly push through the trees into another clearing, this one so perfect and so bright, all I could do was feel the warmth and calmness wash over me.  I felt the Mother putting Her arms around me and reminding me She is always with me, no matter what the sorrow.

How did I, this earth bound, analytical Taurus, have such a wonderful and amazing experience?  I don't know.  Either I am crazy or it was what those above knew I needed at that moment.

Only now am I understanding.  I have never been to the place in the picture, so for all I know it is a barren dirt road beyond those trees.  But not in my mind.  I believe that it is an even more beautiful and powerful clearing.  And that was one of my lessons for today.  That is faith and Wicca.  For a time, we have bodies.  We are in this place where there is light and should be more light for the ritual.  But where we are going in the end is where the light is.  The more we follow that light, the closer we are to knowing the love and goodness offered by the Divine.  And in all the sorrows is the warmth and light of our heavenly Family.

A Christian Wiccan Creed

Often when I go to church we will recite the Apostles' Creed.  I have no issue with this at all.  For more information on the Apostles' Creed I recommend Wikipedia's page on the Apolstles' Creed.  It walks you through several different versions.  It strikes me that in order to make this 100% true to myself there is very little modification that would need made.  Without further ado here is my version of the Christian Wiccan's Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, Mother of knowledge and earth,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Along with this there are a few rules that most Christian Wiccan's I know follow.  At times this can make for a very lively debate.  Do you follow the Wiccan Rede or the Golden Rule?  For those who are just learning these are:

These are all the guidance you need.  If you ponder them for a while you will see how absolutely compatible and similar they are.  This along with the Canticle of the Sun, from What is the Difference? Part 2 sum up the path I call Christian Wicca.  Yes, there is a lot more that I do and a lot to learn.  But at the heart, this is the belief.

A Spring Fresh Home!

Last week on Facebook I came across a recipe for homemade Febreeze.  I was intrigued because I have always liked Febreeze but as I get more cautious about the number of chemicals around the house, and the expense, and toll they are taking on the environment I started wondering about this.  The recipe that I saw was this:

1/8 cup fabric softener (like Downy April Fresh)
2 tablespoons Baking Soda
24 oz hot tap water

Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to combine.  Make sure to shake before using it.

This sounds great.  Fabric softener has a wonderful smell and the baking soda will certainly absorb odors which is what you want from Febreeze.  But, we are back to using chemicals to make this air freshener.

Of course, if all we are looking for is fabric softener then why won't my homemade fabric softener work?  My homemade fabric softener is:

1/2 gallon white distilled vinegar
20 drops of essential oil (I prefer lavender for sheets and citrus for everything else)

The big problem with the homemade fabric softener and the above recipe would be the baking soda/vinegar combination.  While it would be fun for the kids to watch, it would not really help with the air freshener issue.  Vinegar is a natural odor destroyer as well but only loses its own odor when it dries.

I also came across one other natural odor absorbing ingredient, but only for those 21 years or older.  Vodka.  So, here is my twist on the fabric softener Febreeze:

1/8-1/4 cup vodka (the cheap stuff works just as well as the expensive)
2 tablespoons baking soda
24 oz hot tap water
20 drops essential oil of your preference

I tend to use a lot more of the essential oils than others but I love the smell of them.  Adjust them to your liking.  I have come across a different recipe that calls for 100 drops of essential oil.

Just a note of caution: always spot test anything you are using on your furniture to make sure it doesn't discolor.  This goes for the fabric softener air freshener as well.  Remember, you never know how your upholstery will react to anything sprayed on it!

Container Gardening

Last year I did not own my own home.  One of the major drawbacks to this was that I was unable to plant a garden for the first time in years.  This was, for me, horrible.  I love fresh vegetables but even more I love getting to play in the dirt.  It is soothing.  As my last post on meditation may have shown, this is where I get my major relaxation throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  I did the next best thing to planting a garden, I planted containers and it worked much better than I thought it would.

First, I went to my local Tuesday Morning.  There I found huge flower pots that were dirt cheap (pun intended).  I didn't mind that they were mismatched.  That actually gave the garden a bit of whimsy.

After that I found very inexpensive top soil to fill the pots about a half to 3/4 full.  On top of that I put the really good potting soil.  In my estimation, the potting soil is good for getting the plant started, but once it roots I always feel that the top soil is just fine.

For last year's garden, we had tomatoes, peppers, basil, peas, green beans, mint, and cucumbers.  Those were the plants that grew.  I tried to plant other herbs like thyme and other lower plants but the herbs did not do well.  I realized that at least for me, starting herbs from seeds does not work.  The basil grew very well because it was a seedling when I got it and the mint was a transplant.  The herbs were just too tiny for me to get to grow right.

I then mixed the plants in the containers, a "tall" plant and a "short" plant.  The tomatoes and basil went together, the green beans and the cucumbers, and the peas and mint.  I put cages in the pots for the tall plants to grow up and the short plants cascaded over the sides of the containers.  My yield out of my garden was pretty decent.  I must say that learning about mixing the plants, tall and short, in the containers was the piece of the puzzle that made it work.  It is a very simple idea that holds a lot of power.

This year, I own my own home so I will be able to plant in the ground.  However, I am searching for small garden ideas.  I don't have a lot of ground, but enough that my family will get fresh vegetables and maybe some fruit if I can pull it off.  And the herbs are a must.  I miss my herb garden; it has been far too long since I have had one.  I am looking forward to collecting new herbs as time progresses.  And, you can be sure that the tight space gardening will be posted here!

Springtime Meditation

One day last week it seemed that meditation was all over Facebook.  I kept seeing a quote.  To paraphrase, it was:  Everyone needs to meditate for 20 minutes a day.  Unless you don't have time, then you should meditate for an hour.

I found this poster on the Web that explains various types of meditation.  I was unable to find a real source for it, although I wish I could.

 I love this chart because of the ease in which it teaches newcomers to meditation the various ways that traditional meditation can be performed.

Personally, with two children and a full time job I very rarely have time to sit in passive meditation.  While maybe that means I am the target for an hour of meditation a day I personally prefer a more active type of meditation.

I have read a few articles on completely active meditation.  This one from eHow (How To Do Active Mediation) tells of how to meditate while being very active during something like running.

I guess then I will call my form of meditation mildly active meditation.  My absolutely best time meditating is during gardening.  I pay attention not only to my own breathing and feelings but it also puts me completely in touch with the elements.  It is not only a chance to worship Mother Earth but to put myself in the moment.

The best thing is again that anyone can participate in mildly active meditation.  It doesn't have to be gardening.  It doesn't even have to be outside.  Can you not meditate while knitting, crocheting, or sewing?  Can you be completely in the here and now while doing carpentry?  As long as you can slow your breathing and take the time to completely be in the here and now, then I believe you are accomplishing the goal of meditation.  It is my belief that the goal of meditation is to teach oneself how to participate in life more fully.  Any hobby can allow for this time, if it is done correctly.  For correctly, I would think it would be this:

1.  Focus on your own body and feelings.  Slow your breathing by counting to 4 on both your inhale and exhale.

2.  Focus on your surroundings.  What can you smell and see?  What can you feel?

3.  If any negativity or outside thought comes to mind, thank it for being there, let it go, and then move on.  This is a time to focus on the positive and the good.

Enjoy!

Spring is Here!

Or so I think.  I am often wrong on these things.  I don't check the weather often and consequently am normally dressed wrong or don't have an umbrella.  However, spring makes me think of spring cleaning and since on of the things I wanted to address in this blog is natural cleaning it seems like this would be a good time to start!

I have several recipes for home cleaning products but the one I toy around with the most has got to be my daily shower cleaner.  My shower does not have enough ventilation in it.  This is great for keeping steam from the rest of the bathroom and generally makes for a great shower.  The draw back is that it takes hours for the shower to dry.  It also has very deep grooves between the tiles that catch a lot of water.  All this adds up to the possibility of mold in the shower.

I have on occasion had to go after it with bleach.  I take a day when I can usher the children out of the house and spray the entire shower (ceiling included) with a 50% bleach solution.  Not natural cleaning, I know, but the only thing I have found to be truly effective.

On a daily basis though I don't want to use anything nearly that harsh.  I also love the daily cleaners you can get for the showers that make cleaning so much easier.  I have made one of my own.

1 part white vinegar
1 part water
2 drops essential oil

I normally make this in a 24 oz. spray bottle so it is 12 oz vinegar, 12 oz water, and 48 drops of oil.

My question was always what kind of oil to use.  I have used both tea tree and grapefruit.  I have read that tea tree oil is anti-septic and anti-fungual but I haven't had as much luck with it as I have the grapefruit oil.  The grapefruit oil kept the mold away.  The vinegar will also keep the mold down.  It also reacts with any soap left in the shower to help make it go away as well.

Once every two or three weeks, I will use a cloth with some baking soda to scrub the walls and floor to remove anything that has been missed by the daily cleaner but it normally isn't much.  The spray also makes a fantastic glass cleaner so I use it to clean the glass in the bathroom and the sinks.

It is easy and economical.  And my daughter loves getting to make the cleaner with me.  She gets upset if I don't wait for her to do it.  The other plus side to this, I don't have to worry about my children helping me clean and the chemicals they are getting into.  I have only seen positive things come from this!

What's the Difference: part 2.

One of the few people I am out of the broom closet with is my best friend.  I shouldn't say I am in the broom closet because I am not exactly.  I don't hide who I am, but I don't advertise either.  The author of the book The Path of a Christian Witch recommends that we keep our path secret, not because it is wrong but because it is looked upon negatively in both the Christian and the Wiccan communities.  I can understand but I do not pretend that I will agree.  I do not preach my path to anyone.  I do hope that I live it.  I digress.... back to my best friend.

My best friend has been so since I was about 14, meaning that she has held this dubious distinction for over half my life.  We are oil and water in many ways and are only now discovering exactly how much our friendship has shaped the other.  As with many people in my life, she is Catholic.  She isn't just Catholic, she is about as die hard Catholic as they come.  This is a woman who wears a veil to church!  I may not claim to understand, but she is who she is and I love and accept and would not have her any other way.

When she finally discovered my true path in my religious life she said to me, "I understand exactly where you are coming from but why pick a name for it that is so contentious to everyone else?"  This is why I love her.  She asks the good thought provoking questions.  Why is it?  She was prepared to accept everything except the name.  What is it about the name?  Wicca at its soul is simply finding the Divine in nature.  It is about accepting the supreme duality, that God is neither male or female or God is both male and female.  Wicca has something my Protestant upbringing did not: equality.  You see, in the Protestant church there is no Mary who is regarded as sacred.  She exists but you do not pray to her.  You do not recognize that she plays a vital role in the story of the Divine.  Without Mary, there is no Christianity!  The Catholic church has this equality but there are so many other aspects of Catholicism I just do not agree with.  So why the name?  It is the best description I can come up with for my path.  It accurately describes the community I have found.

She had a few other questions then:
1. How do you tie these together?
2. What about spells?
3. What about the belief that you can tap into God's powers?
4. Do you believe in a separate Goddess?

These are wonderful questions.  Answering her allowed me to clarify and solidify my own thoughts so that I could easily describe what I believe.

How do I tie these together?

I believe the best way to show someone what I believe in the most absolutely elegantly stated way is a piece written by St. Francis of Assisi called the Canticle of the Sun:

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.

To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water;
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth,
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you;
through those who endure sickness and trial.

Happy those who endure in peace,
for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your most holy will.
The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,

and serve him with great humility.

(from Wikipedia: Canticle of the Sun)

I have a wonderful book of this that I read to my children on a regular basis called Brother Sun Sister Moon which they adore.  The interpretation in this book calls the Lord the Mother and Father of all Creation.  Such a wonderful description of how the natural elements and Christianity fit together!

What about spells and the belief that I can tap into the Divine's power?

I combine these two because they are so close.  I always have an issue with the question of the Divine's power.  You see, even in Christianity we are taught that our bodies are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit:

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6)

The Christian belief that the Divine resides in each of us is echoed in Wicca.  In Wicca you never demand something from the Divine, you ask nicely.  You give offerings and make requests.  Demands are rarely met and frowned upon.  You are not the Divine, but you can ask of the Divine.  You direct your energy to asking the Divine and into what you seek.  What a fool I would be to think that I could possibly handle the same power that the Divine can handle!  I am not a Goddess.  I am pretty strong, both emotionally and spiritually, but that is a going a bit far.  I can handle what the Divine entrusts to me, the energy and power to ask and to trust.  

This all leads to my answer on spells.  Do I do spells?  Absolutely, but rarely.  Only when I feel I need that much power behind what I am asking.  What is a spell?  A spell is nothing more than a prayer that has been turned into a ritual.  The energy put into turing the prayer into the ritual, finding the exact right wording, the exact right herbs and ingredients contains so much more power than a prayer.  It is focusing and directing my energy in such a way to ask the Divine for assistance that takes the prayer to a new, higher level.  I cannot direct the energy of the Divine but I can ask in a very structured and respectful manner for the Divine to direct their own energies to help me.

Do I believe in a separate Goddess?

Yes and no.  I believe the Goddess is part of the Trinity as the Holy Spirit.  You see, the Bible never defines the gender of the Holy Spirit.  scripture4all.org has a translation of the Bible from the Hebrew.  Hebrew has very distinct masculine and feminine words, from what I understand.  These define the Spirit as being feminine. A very nice video was done showing some of these is at PROOF Female HOLY SPIRIT.  While I disagree with the name, I like the idea.  You cannot prove the Holy Spirit is female because you cannot prove the Holy Spirit exists any more than you can prove that God exists.  I believe the Holy Spirit is the feminine aspect of God.  Is this controversial? Sure.  Am I wrong? I have no idea. Am I going to go to hell if I am?  No.  Why not?  Because we all have one thing in common, right or wrong, it doesn't matter what I did or believed here on Earth.  I will only ever get into Heaven by God's grace.  If I am wrong, when God/dess confronts and judges me my answer is, "Forgive me."

I believe that the Holy Spirit takes on the form of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone.  She is the Maiden when She helps God to create the Earth.  She is the Mother when She helps Mary to conceive the baby Jesus.  She is the Crone following His death.  I believe that the Spirit is a Mother-figure to us all.

How do I answer that witchcraft is evil and forbidden in the Bible? (this is my own)

From scripture4all again:

It is a bit small but this is the most quoted verse from Exodus 22:18.  Personally I don't know what a one-being-enchantress is.  And until God/dess can explain that one to me, I will happily continue to fervently pray and ask for help.  Again, it is only by God/dess' grace that anything good will happen anyway.  So let me be wrong, but at least I will know I believed, my belief caused me to do good, and I strove to harm none while I was a member of this wonderful creation!

What's The Difference?

Very few people know I follow a Wiccan path because generally when someone close to me finds out it leads to heartache and misery for me.  I have had people tell me I worship the Devil, that I am going to Hell, and I am the worst form of evil there is.  But to me, there is very little difference in a Christian Path versus a Christian Wiccan path.  Allow me to explain with a true story:

A women I know prays to a figure, who is fully recognized not to be God, on an amulet every time she gets into her car.  She does this on the way to work, on the way to do errands, on her way to fun.  If she gets into the car she prays. One day, she and her family got into the car to go to the beach and she was talking to her daughter and did not pray because she was distracted.  Tragically, on the drive to the beach, a truck collided with their car, severally injuring her daughter and killing her three year old grandson.  While discussing this incident, the woman stated that she wonders if she had just remembered to pray would her grandson be alive.

Within this sad story is a truth, this woman believes enough to pray to this entity every time she gets into her car.  She is not praying to God.  She utilizes a coin of this person in her car to protect her and her family from harm.  Is this woman doing magic?  If you mentioned this question to her she would be offended and not speak to you.  You see, this woman is a devout Catholic whom prays to St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, and utilizes a St. Christopher's medallion in her vehicle, like many Catholics.  However, the fundamentals are the same.

Catholics are, in my opinion, using the same elements that I call Wicca daily.  During certain times, offerings are given to Mary or other Saints.  They believe Mary, Mother of Jesus, is Queen of Heaven.  They celebrate feast days for the Saints.  They ritually cleanse spaces with incense and believe the aroma to be pleasing to God.  They believe in the miracles of Jesus.  And most of all they believe in transubstantiation.  This is one of the dividing points between Catholics and Protestants.  Catholics believe that when a priest prays over the bread and wine of communion it becomes the body and blood of Christ.  That is one powerful piece of magic the priest is doing!

Comparing Wicca to the Protestant churches is a bit harder because they do not believe many of the things that Catholics believe.  However, they would never condemn a Catholic for their faith, so why condemn me for mine?

In my path, Wicca just states that I see a King and Queen of heaven.  I see the beauty of these two beings in all nature around me.  I believe that it is right and good to give these elements back to the King and Queen as sacrifices.  I believe that there are elements of nature that can help us.  I believe there is one God, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

I find a very hard time figuring out where the dividing line is with the dogma.  Why is Catholicism embraced and adored while Wiccan's are shunned?  What am I doing that is so wrong, yet for a Catholic to do the same Rite it is correct?  I believe that seeing the light and goodness in all around me is a gift from God and one that anyone can receive.  You do not need to be Catholic, Protestant, or Wiccan, you just need to want peace and happiness and to treat everything with the respect it deserves as part of the Divine.

Welcome!

The first thought that occurs to me is who am I welcoming and why?  I guess the traditional first post would be all about why I am writing this blog and where it came from.  

The title comes from my life.  I live a life of crossed paths, dualities, yin and yang, however you want to say it.  I work in the technical world yet attempt to embrace the natural world in my home.  I believe in both Christianity and Wicca.  There are many more mundane dualities (I have two children, a boy and a girl) and many more that I keep close to me.  I long to let everyone know of these dualities but fear repercussions should they truly be discovered.  There are other good examples but I believe this is enough for everyone to understand where the name is from.

As for what will eventually be found here, I plan to fill these postings with my many findings on natural living, on embracing the simple life while maintaining a life outside my home, of my beliefs and information surrounding them.  It is hard to find information on the Christian Witch and what makes up that Path.  I actively seek out this information and would like to amass it for others to easily be able to find it.  I also actively seek out natural remedies, recipes, and solutions and want to have those easily found as well. 

Do not look to me as one who has answers though.  I have opinions and beliefs and information but the only place you will find answers is within yourself.  I encourage everyone to read and interpret my thoughts and believes in their own light.  I may have answers to practical matters like: What is the best natural way to clean glass?  Vinegar, diluted so you can handle the odor.  Ask me about recipes, ways that I have found things, and anything else and I will happily answer.  I will happily give my opinion as well on religion and life but those are your answers to find.  

This is my path.  I am still learning, still discovering.  I fall and I get back up.  I laugh and I cry.  But in the end I know that there is goodness.  Do not take my word as truth but as the simplicity of one voice saying, "This is what I believe."