Into the Grove

2010-07-28T16:57:00.002-05:00

So much has happened in the past 3 months, large quantities of "life" crammed into such a short space. School ended for the year and the summer is almost over. I've spent my time working on the school's PTA (what can I say, I was "volunteered"!), trying to drum up business to survive in our little corner, and enjoying what we can from a rainy few months. I went camping for the first time at the age of 41, and survived to tell about it. A very close family member surprised us all with a new job - and a move that puts her an additional 13 hours further away. A very busy summer indeed.

As we're currently renting, there's not a lot we've been able to do in the way of gardening here. However, a friend let many of us have space in her yard for a small garden. As space was limited, I kept it simple. I'm waiting for the corn to ripen, and so far have canned 4 qts of green beans and frozen a gallon. I located a supply of elderberry juice at a local store (still looking for actual elderberry plants in our area) and have started making elderberry cordials for the fall and winter. My mate and I ventured into the world of mead making last spring, and right now we have about 6 types working in our basement with plans for many, many more. It's a cheap hobby and one that is MUCH appreciated by our Pagan friends!

This weekend we will celebrate Lammas. It's definitely a celebration of reflection, of the crops and harvests of the year - both physical and in our lives. I'll be making corn dolls, bread, and many other things I think. When I have a chance, I'll post more about that. But for now, travel safely and may the sun light your path.

The NRC and other occurrances

2010-04-11T08:42:00.003-05:00

Well so far it's been quite the year. Ended up sick with bronchitis for a total of 2 months, then was ok for about 2-3 weeks and promptly fell a whopping 6" on my elbow and jammed my shoulder making it impossible to type, write or function for the past 2 weeks or so. Not a good start to the year!!

My mother came down. Suffice it to say she's not a stupid person and figured out that our path had changed pretty quickly! At first she thought Wiccan, but was delighted to discover I was studying to be a druid. Go figure, who'd have thought? So she asks me if I'll eventually be an ordained priestess. I cautiously answer that that's a possibility to which she immediately responds "Lose weight first!". Guess she was envisioning me dancing naked around a fire! Of all the possible reactions I have to say that wasn't the one I was expecting!

My druid studies are going well. I've also started a new project I guess you could call it. It's odd really, I've never felt "called" to do something until I came up here. I've come to the conclusion that I need to open a nature preserve and spiritual center in the area. While there are other nature preserves, there's no spiritual center at all. It's a huge undertaking and I'm not trying to do it alone, but I think we'll be able to get it off the ground. I just need to come up with a name for it (as well as a thousand other things).

This week is treasure mapping week. Can't wait, hopefully it will make a difference! In the meantime, I keep moving forward.

Out of the Fog

2010-02-28T22:13:00.003-06:00

I feel a bit like Frankenstein in that old movie where you hear the dr exclaim "It's ALIVE!!!" Six weeks of a sinus infection and bronchitis will do that to a person. And while I was too wiped out to focus as much as normal on my druidry studies, I did learn a few key things in one of my chosen paths of study, herbalism. Echinacea is a powerful and effective herb and one of nature's own antibiotics. Side effects are minimal. However, one key side effect that seems to be underreported is that it is considered a weed, and if you have allergies to say, ragweed, it may not be a good choice for you. Wondered why it made my ears itch! LOL! Elderberry syrup (from black elderberries only!) is some sour tasting stuff. However, if you mix it with a small amount of grape juice you really can't taste it. Which made me realize that it basically tastes like really sour grape juice on it's own. It's another one of the powerhouses offered by nature, especially for respiratory and sinus. However, to be most effective you have to start taking it early on. If you wait until you've been ill for 3-4 weeks and are pretty sick, it basically will keep you from getting worse. It may help you get better, but it takes a while. I admit after 6 weeks I got fed up and went back in to the dr for antibiotics.

The husband and I have tried our hand at making mead. It should be ready around April 25th, just in time for Beltaine! Hopefully it'll be decent!

Lot's of good discussions with our local Pagan friends. One other has followed the Norse Gods, but not really the tradition. Since my mate and I arrived he's been looking more into it and would like to start up a kindred. Also, the local Pagan organization has some changes coming up and a lot of potential. Not sure how involved I'll get, but right now I'm trying to look up various grants they may be eligible with given their 501 (c)(3) status. They talked a bit about having their own place. I could totally see a large building on about 10-15 acres, a 2-4 acre grove, a large fire/ritual circle, gardens to wander through, a decent greenhouse and a large community garden area. We'd like to get speakers in like Diana Paxson and John Michael Greer, but no idea how to go about that, what they'd charge or when we'd even have the facility up. But I'm working on it!

This is a short one tonight. I still have a blasted headache I can't seem to shake.

Yours from the wind in the trees
Soifra

It's not a ritual it's a "celebration"!

2010-02-03T22:54:00.005-06:00

My husband and I have been in a bit of a quandry as to what to teach the children about our path. We both come from Christian families, heck I have a relative who ranks pretty high in involvement among other things, and well, to say things could get sticky is an understatement. We believe that a person's spirituality is important just as many other facets are, so we don't want to take the road of teach them nothing and let them decide when they grow up. We firmly believe in the path we're following and really, why shouldn't we teach them the values that we believe in as well and why? We WANT them to have the same appreciation for the earth that we do, to know the value of honor, to understand why we believe what we do. Funny, if we were Christian or Jewish or Muslim this wouldn't even be in question. Why so different with being Pagan? The answer is simple and yet complicated. We hesitate to teach them our path as a way to protect them, to shield them from those who would choose to warp our spirituality into something it isn't, who would choose to use this against them, against us and against our family. Until we could figure this out, we've been sheltering them from much of it, downplaying things in their eyes.

I've been realizing this is a huge mistake. For one thing, these two are not stupid and in fact are considered gifted. They miss nothing. Ever. During the week of Christmas after the Solstice celebration, they had a lot of talk at school about different celebrations that take place in December (Solstice being noticeably absent). I asked both of them if they had told their teacher about the celebration we'd gone to; it was a fun time and a big deal for them. Neither one had said a word at school about it, and our son told me "I didn't think it was ok to tell anyone about it". Clearly he had picked up on the undercurrents between my husband and I. Tonight we had the Disting/Imbolc ritual. Unsure what to tell them about it, I've been more than a bit vague. They know *something* is going on. In talking with my mate today, we realized that by trying to shelter them all we're doing is giving them the impression that what we are doing is a secret, something to be hidden away and probably something "wrong".

Today we decided no more. We're not going to let this grow into something shameful, how ridiculous is that?? However, we also realize we have to tread carefully. Can you just see the reactions of grandparents, teachers and CPS when our 5 year old daughter announces that mommy and daddy do rituals and use a dagger and candles? Given the negative connotations with all of that, I see no good coming from that! LOL! So we have decided for our family's protection that we will not use the word "ritual" in front of the children. The word doesn't make the ceremony, and "celebration" is much safer at least until they are older than 5 and 7 and better able to understand. We also had a frank talk with them about what we believe, why others may have issues with it due to wrongly perceived notions of Paganism, and that we should respect everyone's chosen religion, etc. It was good, and they both looked visibly relieved. This shouldn't be such a tough one!

Tonight we had the ritual, um I mean celebration. A couple of friends ended up coming over for it as well. One, a fellow druid in training, was highly impressed with the written ceremony (though he pointed out I'd transposed the north and south positions - hey, I'm still learning!). It went well overall, though I need to make sure the kids are either better occupied or involved next time! But for a first try, yeah, I think it went pretty well. And as a bonus, we have moonflowers planted waiting to grow and transplant when the ground thaws!

Imbolc Ritual (Disting Blot)

2010-01-31T20:59:00.011-06:00

Greetings and well met! It's funny how quickly things can change sometimes, isn't it? I was all set to do an Imbolc ritual with our group and now that's done a 360. I was at a meeting on it Saturday night, and it just didn't "feel" right. It was "here's the script, stand and watch". I don't generally have issues with that, however this is something I'm planning on devoting at least the next 5 years to to master, and I just feel I should know WHY we do something in a ritual and have some input into it if that makes any sense. I expressed this to one of the leaders of the ritual, more to explain why I wouldn't be there (no, I'm not upset, etc. and all that) and was surprised he kind of felt the same. I've written a Disting/Imbolc ritual for my spouse and I to share that feels much more personal I guess. The one person would like to attend, which is fine, and there's another couple we thought to invite, so our little family only ceremony has just expanded. Which is kind of nice. Anyway this is what I think we're doing. It's my first try, so I'm sure it's far from perfect. Also, those of the Northern Religion celebrate Disting/the Charming of the Plow at the same time, so this is kind of a compilation of both. Please note that while much of it is my own creation (as well as the compilation), the Call for Peace in the 4 corners was borrowed from another source with minor modifications. (Source to be added directly)

Blot of Disting/Ceremony of Imbolc
• Close the circle
• Call for Peace in the 4 corners

o I call to the spirits of air, the breath of life; to the spirit of the eagle who brings the gift of vision far and clear, the spirits of the wild east wind, of sunrise and of spring, of new life and new growth. May all within this circle know the power of your blessings. So I bid you hail and welcome!

May there be peace in the east (turn to the east and hold the dagger, sheathed)

o I call to the spirits of fire, of energy of passion; the spirit of the wild wolf, who kindles within us the strength and beauty of the untamed places; spirit of the noonday sun, the heat of summer, vitality and abundance. May all within this circle know the power of your blessings. So I bid you hail and welcome!

May there be peace in the north (turn to the north and hold the dagger, sheathed)

o I call to the spirits of water, of the ebb and flow of emotion; to the spirit of the salmon, who fills us with the wisdom welling up from deep within the earth, of open seas and running streams, of cleansing rain; spirit of the evening sun, of twilight and of autumn. May all within this circle know the power of your blessings. So I bid you hail and welcome!

May there be peace in the west (turn to the west and hold the dagger, sheathed)

o I call to the spirits of earth, those which nourish our bodies and lend our creation; to the spirit of the bear, who draws us into the nourishing darkness of the cave; spirits of the night and the snows of winter, deep roots and ancient stones. May all within this circle know the power of your blessings. So I bid you hail and welcome!

May there be peace in the south (turn to the south and hold the dagger, sheathed)

• Invoke the blessings of the Gods and light candle

o We call to Nerthus, the mother earth from whom all bounty is possible, to share our hearth and bless our harvest in the upcoming year

o We call to Freyr, God of Sun and Rain, patron of harvests, that he may share our hearth and smile kindly upon us in the upcoming weeks of winter and the seasons of planting and harvest

o We call to Thor, mighty protector of Midland, that he may join our hearth and hold his hammer above it and shield our home from malice and misdeed

o We call to Frigga, wife of Odin and Goddess of marriage, motherhood and household, that she may come rest by our hearth and guide us with her wisdom in the balance of home and work in the upcoming seasons

o We call on Odin, the Allfather, that he may join our hearth and look favorably upon our endeavors

• Invoke the blessings of the Ancestors and light candle

o We call on our ancestors as they are ever-watching and ever-guiding our steps in this life

• Invoke the blessings of the elves and light candle

o We acknowledge the elves and seek their good fortune

• Comment on the coming spring

o We come together tonight to honor those we have invited here and to celebrate the lengthening days. Though snow may still lay on the ground, and the wind remain bitter, we are reminded that the turning of the season will soon again be upon us. It is now that we plant the first seeds of the year with the intent to nourish them as their growth and bloom will nourish our hearts and soul in the upcoming weeks.
 Plant seeds

• Drink to deities

o We offer now, a toast to those who would join us and watch over our interests. (Drink after each name is said)

 Hail Nerthus!
 Hail Freyr!
 Hail Thor!
 Hail Frigga!
 Hail Odin!

• Drink to ancestors

 We offer a toast to those who have come before us, who’s footsteps we may follow. (Drink to the ancestors)

• Fill Blessings Bowl and dump

o Place small pieces of bread into the bowl and pour a drink over it
 Take these, our offerings freely given
(Pour contents on the ground for the wights)

• Close the circle
o We release the spirits of the air, and thank them for their protection.
o We release the spirits of the fire, and thank them for their protection.
o We release the spirits of the water, and thank them for their protection.
o We release the spirits of the earth, and thank them for their protection.
o Let the circle be opened and peace be with you.

We're not sure what night it will be on just yet, but probably midweek. Afterwards we'll all come inside (it's still COLD out!) and sit by the fire and share a traditional stew and homemade bread. YUM!

Ok have little ones to get into bed then a website to redo. It's not *all* fun and games! LOL!

~~~~~~~~~
Ok got it. The calling of the 4 quartes came from the Gorsedd Rite written by Philip Shallcrass and Emma Restall Orr and can be found Here

It has been a while

2010-01-28T21:49:00.008-06:00

That sums up many things right now. First off, obviously it has been a while since I have posted. It has been a while since I've been this involved with other people in my community. It has been a while since I've been this hesitant before.

We brought in the new year, as did everyone. We spent some time at a friends house, then made a fairly early departure as we had little ones with us. One thing that I've done for this year is adopt Words for the New Year. Progress. Positivity. Health. Direction. Perserverence. A few to start with.

Progress. As a family and as an individual, we have goals for this year. After many big changes last year, though not all positive, I felt that "progress" was not only continuing change but movement in the right direction - forward. Direction and Perserverence tie nicely into that, while being significant enough to merit their own position. Health. I am sick, again. In the past 3 years my health has been worse than ever. In the past six months alone I've had the H1N1 virus (thankfully mild!), several sinus infections and now a plain old headcold I think. Part of it is from the change in location with all the stress added to the new germs. Part of it is cumulative, and I need to retake charge of my body. So Health is another good word for the year. Positivity is probably going to be my greatest challenge. It seems everywhere I look I'm bombarded with negativity. I was raised in a culture where if you say anything positive you are considered boastful. "I'm so happy the sun is shining!" can be rubbing it in for others who are under rainy skies. So instead you say "I'm so glad the sun is FINALLY shining for us!". See that little complaint in there, that the sun hasn't been shining? Yeah, silly. But very insidious and a hard one to break.

In April it will be time to make a Treasure Map. I've not done one before though I'm excited about it. It coincides with the Aries moon, a time for new purpose and new beginnings. I'm already thinking what I'd like to have on it, though I've been warned those ideas may change with the energy of the moon cycle that month. I think my mate may even be considering one!

I've been continuing my studies with the AODA. Among the regular things I'm tasked with learning, I've been delving into what we know about the druids. Quite fascinating, both in the wealth and lack thereof of information. One story in particular has caught my attention though. It is the tale of Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni's. Her husband the king ruled in the times of the Roman invasion into Britton. He was what's termed an "independent ally" of Rome - meaning he didn't get in their way, paid some taxes, and they left his people alone for the most part. He also traded heavily with them and so on. Upon his death he left his kingdom split, half to the Roman Emperor, half to his family. The Roman Emperor was not accustomed to sharing, and most certainly not with a woman. In the Roman empire, women were not even considered citizens, let alone property owners! Word was sent to Boudicca to turn over her daughter's inheritance to the Emperor. Boudicca evidentally told the Roman Emperor where to stick it for his audacity, an admirable but ill advised move. She was flogged and her 2 daughters raped, while their assets seized and her people treated like slaves.

Now this wasn't the only tribe this happened to, and while the Romans were off fighting another area, the tribes in the Iceni area voted Boudicca to lead their revolution. She did eventually lose, but not before she destroyed three main Roman strongholds (London anyone?) and took out a sizable chunk of their armies. I'm telling you, don't piss off a woman and do not harm her children! Yowza! The twist to the story is though unproven, there is enough evidence to speculate that she may also have been trained as a Druid. Neat stuff.

I've been working to reconcile the Northern Religion with the Celtic, and have finally gotten it mostly figured out. It helped to learn that the Norse traded for years with the Celts, from as early as 1500bc, and that they settled all through the Celtic lands as they invaded. It's starting to gel together, the overlaps and the similiarities. There are still a few differences, but it at least has more logic to it for me now.

As for my druid studies, I'm progressing slower than I'd like, but at a respectable pace. I'm impatient, I want to know it all NOW. And that is something I have to work through in all aspects of life.

I'm learning about the different wildlife in our new area, as well as the trees, foilage, etc. I've found just a treasure of information in a series of books by a local naturalist. I've also begun working with Norse Runes, with some degree of success to this point. Funny really on that one, I picked them up and it was like I'd always been using them. One thing that I have not kept up on is my study of the Icelandic language. I need to get this knocked out so I can move on to Scottish Gaelic. Thankfully I'm fairly adept with languages!

I may have mentioned that we've become active in the wonderful Pagan community up here. Most Friday evenings we spend time with a group of friends at the weekly fire circle. One of our goals for hopefully this year is to buy a house with decent acerage where we can host the Friday Night Fire Circles. The place we have it now is starting to get crowded, and in temperatures like we've been having, it's moved inside. Our hosts house is cozy, but they've mentioned they'd prefer to gather in a place with a fireplace and more space. We're also looking for trees, preferably enough for a small actual grove of my own, perfect for rituals. At some point I'd love to ascend through the AODA ranks and be able to help others with their rituals (as well as my own of course) in a place that I knew was safe. Anyway, as I believe I also mentioned previously, 2 of the members of the fire circle are following the OBOD path. Honestly, I wasn't sure which organization to affiliate with for my studies, and it was a hard call. However, after getting into the AODA program and "comparing notes" if you will about the OBOD program, I'm very glad this is the path I've chosen. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not about to insult the OBOD; it's a solid organization with good information. But what I'm seeing is that all of the information is handed to you each month, and while you may be encouraged to delve deeper into some topics, there's no real incentive to do so. AODA on the other hand tells you a defined scope of what you need to focus on and then let's you loose on it (they do have a good reading list to reference as well as the message boards if you have questions). That suits my personality much better. As one of the OBOD disciples stated "It seems like the OBOD teaches you to talk the talk assuming you'll begin to walk the walk, whereas AODA does it in the reverse". I can live with that!

From the wind in the trees,
Siofra

Merry Christmas and Happy Solstice

2009-12-25T22:24:00.003-06:00

Happy Yule and Merry Christmas! For Solstice we went to the local UU church for a celebration and ritual. I wasn't too sure what to expect to be honest. During the ritual they provided childcare, so the kidlins were off happily making wands and decorating Yule logs. The ritual was interesting and not entirely what I expected. Honestly it took a little bit for me to get into it - old teachings die hard, even once you turn away from them. It was nice and full of energy. One of the readings done was more Wiccan inspired which didn't do a lot for me as that's not a path that interests me, but overall it was good. People were just exceptionally nice. Afterwards was a potluck dinner (yummy) and just a general gathering of people.

On Wednesday an old and dear friend of my husbands came over for a visit. They hadn't seen each other in 7 years, and as we've moved back to the area, there was a lot of catching up to do. My mate knew that his friend wasn't Christian, but imagine his surprise to see they follow some of the same path. His friend was most pleasantly surprised as well.

Mom arrived without incident on Thursday. It's been a bit of a trick, with the mention of a "celebration at the church" and avoiding what the actual celebration was or exactly what church it was held at! But it is all good. I did have to delay my initiation ceremony for about a week. Such is life, though I have unofficially begin part of my training as it is. By next week I will have completed the ritual. I have also begun narrowing down the dieties I wish to follow. The problem is that with both a strong Scottish heritage as well as European/Germanic, I'm a bit at cross odds on a few things. I'm slowly working it out. I do know that some of the Norse gods are in.

It's been an insane and long week, and we're spending tonight getting things unboxed and so on while the kids are with my mother. Then it's to bed for a well deserved rest!

From the wind in the trees,
Siofra

The Busy Season

2009-12-17T23:17:00.005-06:00

Well the holidays are coming - Solstice and Christmas. It has been busy, busy around here!! I have almost finished my baking, and the house is full of different types of fudge, pecan bars (almost gone somehow, must be magick!), buckeyes, banana nut bread, marshmallow pops, cookies and peppermint bark. The denim pocket quilt is almost complete for my mother in law, and I'll be making the kids pajamas tonight. The boy's are of a lime green material with red stripes, the girls are of a coordinating red material with lime polkadots. They'll look like Thing1 and Thing2, but hey, they're still young enough to think it's neat!

While at the store I found something that I had to bring home. It is a small 1'-2' tree, and a commonly used herb of rosemary. Looks like a little pine tree and is making the house smell just wonderful!!

It's a busy weekend planned. Saturday is filled with family get togethers and I'm supposed to have everything done by that night as my husband has informed me it is "Mother's Night". Sunday the kids have thier Irish dance classes (complete with "holiday party") and then later that evening is a HUGE Solstice Celebration at the local UU church. I'm very excited, and is my mate. Tomorrow when we meet for the weekly bonfire he plans on asking what one wears to such a thing. Hopefully nothing too particular - various illnesses and injuries over the two years have added a few pounds and let my wardrobe rather limited! Sunday or Monday I'll be doing my initiation ritual, which I need to do some study for. Then Monday night we'll have a semi-traditional meal of roast pork. Then it's wrapping and cleaning like a madwoman before my mom gets here on Thursday! Wow! By the following week, I can relax as my busy season will be over.

We went to the local library yesterday. I was able to get a few books on my areas of study for the next year, while adding in another area. (No type A here at all!) I've left the books in the car; the temptation is too great otherwise!

Back to work. Can't wait to see how the celebration goes on Sunday!

From the wind in the trees,
Soifra

Leaps and Bounds

2009-12-11T16:25:00.004-06:00

Well met, friends. The month is flying by with so much going on! Last week my mate and I ended up meeting a small group of like minded new friends (psst - "pagans"!). Apparently there is quite the group of them up here in Wisconsin, and we were lucky to not only meet a few, but be invited back to their weekly shindig! LOL with this being Wisconsin and all, and it *was* cold by my definition, I wore my partners long-johns under my jeans. HE got cold, I... well ok I did too but not as bad! It's funny really. We're both well into adulthood and past the pre-college era by far, but we got back and rehashed the night (I'm forever analytical to death) and we're both like "they were SO cool! We wanna be cool too! And they want us to come back! Wheee!" ROFLMAO!! (In our defense, we moved when I was pregnant with our 7 yr old and never had the opportunity to get out much or get involved and make friends due to circumstances, so yeah, it's been a while!)

In other exciting news, I received my introduction package from the AODA, complete with the initiation ceremony. While I can't go into details about it, it does look potentially interesting. They require 1 yr of study for the first level, and suggest you begin your year on one of the celebrations. That means that I'll be starting mine on Yule, aka Winter Solstice. The down side of this is that we do live in Wisconsin now, it got "warm" today and reached a whopping 13 degrees, so I'll probably have to do it inside. That's really too bad, as I'd love to go up and find a place in the forest and do it there. I really think it'd be nice if there were more advanced members around as I do think it would be great to have someone with you for it, but I can look forward to helping others with that once I pass 2nd level.

The program I'm undertaking is rather involved. Of course, I tend to make things moreso than they have to be as well. There are 3 paths to study, as well as aspects of those paths that need further study such as ogham and natural studies. Then of the 7 spires, I am to select one to study on. Being somewhat type A (and having already planned to study a couple of these this year anyway) I'll be selecting 3; poetry, divination and herbalism. At the conclusion of the year I will hopefully be finished and take my first examinations. Then it's on to a 2 yr program of study to receive my 2nd level and have the option of becoming ordained as a Druid Priestess from what I understand. (I am still very new to this, so I may be slightly off on a few specifics here and there.) ROFLOL yeah I can see sharing that with my relative who's an ordained Christian minister - "Hey C! We got something in common!" She'd probably try to perform an exorcism on the spot.

The third level is huge, and one I hope to attain - then I can actually establish a grove as well. Which brings up something rather interesting. A couple of our new friends are starting out in their Druid paths as well, only following the OBOD (which I hope to someday as well - most druid organizations play well together!). They said there was enough interest that they're contemplating forming a druids circle, which I believe would be a grove. As AODA, I would still be welcome to it, but that just seems interesting. I'll have to see how that works out.

Anyway, Solstice is coming, Christmas is coming, and I'm stealing a moment to post. I do NOT want this to be something that's started and promptly forgotten whether anyone reads it or not.

From the wind in the trees,
Soifra

Moving Forward

2009-12-04T08:54:00.002-06:00

Today we're having our first real snow. It's actually sticking to the ground and on the roads. I guess this is what they call "flurries" up here in the North - back home it was defined as just a spitting snow that didn't really stick or accumulate. First year driving a vehicle with 4wd. And anti-lock brakes. I hate anti-lock brakes, just about paniced when they kicked in for the first time this morning! But the 4wd counters the need for them some, so I imagine I'll be a pro within the month. At least I'm used to driving in snow, though not as much.

Very excited - yesterday I sent in my application to join the AODA and begin their candidacy program. I got an e-mail back saying I'd been accepted! Yea!! Now I'm just waiting for the initiation information to come through. I will start my first year of study on Yule, which is December 21. There are 7 spirals available to study, and the AODA wants it's first years to pick one to focus on, though I am welcome to choose more. I already had a list of things to study this next year, so that made it a bit easier. I will be really starting my education in herbalism. I hope to eventually have my own greenhouse where I grow my own herbs and to branch into alchemy as well. It's amazing what can be cured without the processed pharmaceuticals! I also plan to study runes. I'm thinking this would fall under the spiral of Divination, but if it doesn't, well that's ok too. Finally, the "easy" one I'm going to pursue is that of Poetry. I'd eventually like to study all 7 spirals, and that's one that does come easy to me so I may as well cut myself a little break on that. In addition to all that, I also want to really learn Ogham and will of course need to learn the basic stuff as well. I'm very excited but need to remember that this is for after Mother's Night (December 19th). I have other things that need my attention first! Focus, focus, focus!!

Today I think I'm going to work on getting the house in order (again - what is it about 2 young children that can demolish a house so fast??) and start my baking! Tonight we have a bonfire that should be fun, tomorrow is the girls piano receital and dinner at the in-laws. And so the insanity begins! Once things are better in order, I'll probably take some pics and post of the things I've done so far. I'm still working on my alter, but it's coming along pretty nicely!

Name that Holiday!

2009-12-04T00:30:00.002-06:00

So we have our new pagan path. Generally, the rebirth of the Sun God is celebrated on Winter Solstice, which falls a few days before Christmas. Yeah, try telling the kids we don't do Christmas anymore. Heck try telling my mother that! Her reaction would take "bat shit crazy" to a new level and beyond! Which actually might be kind of fun to watch, but I digress... Anyway, I LIKE celebrating Christmas, and there are many people out there besides our little family unit who celebrate it without worrying about the Christian connotations (on a holiday that really never had anything to do with the birth of Christ in the first place if you look into it a bit!). So now, in addition to continuing on with the tradition of Christmas, we've added Winter Solstice to the mix. Because, you know, December wasn't crazy enough! LOL!

Actually I'm having a blast with it all this year! Ok, I still haven't gotten the Advent calendars finished that mark BOTH the Solstice AND Christmas (yeah, I know, they're late), but I have a ton of apple preserves ready to be sent out as gifts. We moved last summer and ended up in an area full of apple trees, so that was a great and inexpensive (and yummy!) gift to make! I still have all my holiday baking to do, which is on schedule for the next few days, and some presents to make as well. I finally mastered sewing a few years ago and it's easily one of the handiest skills I have.

Then you have the decorating side of things. Since we moved, nothing goes in the same place, so we're trying to figure out what fits where. For one of the first times, we didn't get a fresh tree. Not too sure how I feel about that, part of me LOVES a fresh tree, part of me thinks that's just a bad idea given the druid and all! I did go out and get a ton of fresh pine swags which are now hanging all over the house. Next year I'll run up to a close relations place and walk through the forest to collect the ones that have fallen, this year I copped out and bought them. Next year we hope to be in a different place. For one thing our yard literally has no trees! How can that be?? But hey, at least we do have a yard! No fence either though, so it makes creating a ritual circle a bit um awkward with the neighbors. I can see the reaction once I pull out a long dagger and point it in each direction! I somehow don't think our neighbor would let her daughter babysit here any more! LOL

Once the husband gets over his headcold that he apparently picked up over Thanksgiving, I'm going to have him cut 3 spots in a yule log to make a candle holder. Funny, at our old house we changed the doorknobs and the new ones were a little bigger. He had to go get this drill attachment that cuts perfect circles just the right side for fat pillar candles. See, things like that can ALWAYS be used for other purposes! We're definitely a "whatever works" kind of folk over here!

For the solstice, the local pagan group is having a huge shin-dig out at a local UU church. They have kids activites planned, a full ritual circle, and dancing and a general good time afterwards. Can't wait, sounds outstanding! Tomorrow night we'll go to our first bonfire. Just a casual get together that happens every week. Looking forward to that as well, though it's going to be very, very COLD! Then for Christmas we have all the usual with my parents coming up for the holiday. Which means I also need to get on the house...

What it is

2009-12-04T00:03:00.003-06:00

First, as I begin this journey, a moment of introduction. After much contemplation, you may call me Siofra Payton Eara. This is not my given name of course, but rather the name I have taken on. It translates roughly to changling guardian from the east. Fitting actually, and not too specific.(Siofra is of Scottish Celtic origin and pronounced shee-fra. Eara has the same origin and is pronounced ee-ah-rah. I hate not knowing how to pronounce things!) My husband and I have been married for 8 1/2 yrs, and have 2 children in elementary school, 2 cats and 1 very old dog. The goldfish died last month, so we currently have a fish tank with no fish in it. Hey, it's on the list! In case you didn't notice, the Yule and Christmas season are upon us and I'm just a *little* busy here! Oh, well I guess you wouldn't know that, I'll probably get into that in a bit!

First, for clarifications sake, let me just point out that a pagan is not a satanist. You may find a few satanists who identify with the term pagan though from what I understand that's not real common. For the most part, many pagans (not speaking for all or even most as I certainly haven't met "all" or "most"!) don't even believe in satan, so that makes being a follower pretty impossible! Not all pagans are into Wicca and witchcraft. That's not the right path for me personally at this time, though I've met several friends who do find satisfaction on that road. It is also possible to be a Christian and follow some pagan paths as well. Again not the road for me, but there are those out there who feel it suits them.

Once I accepted that I just couldn't get behind the whole Christianity thing, it was clear that for me the path of druidy was where I belonged. It's funny-odd really, in that I feel like I've always been a druid without knowing what to do about it! I read an interesting discussion on "what is a druid" a while back. The general consensus based on both knowledge of the "original druids" and the skills and abilities involved was that a druid is rather like a position in a village. Druids of old were versed in medicine, divination, were the judges and mediators, bards, musicians and advisors all rolled into one. There is also the nature reverence aspect as well that is rather prominant! I'm sure I'm missing a few things. Needless to say, this isn't a quick study, but rather a lifetime program of learning. I like that. Now the trick is to find the balance - that which allows us to raise our children in the path we see most appropriate without sending the rest of the family into apoplectic fits. Really, our spiritual life is none of their business, but five and seven year olds aren't known for their ability to selective vocalize either! Simply put, don't want the hassle, especially while we're still finding our way and figuring out our beliefs!

Into the Forest

2009-12-03T23:43:00.005-06:00

I suppose if I am going to start a blog, then maybe it would be courteous to introduce myself and the purpose of why I'm writing here. After a lifetime of feeling I was living a lie, I finally mustered up the courage and took that first step towards the dark scary unknown. See, I was raised in the bible thumping, dress your Sunday best midwest. Heck, growing up there were generations of families in our church - including mine. People who had been together and there for each other for literally years. It was a nice and comfortable environment, I'll give them that. Then when I was around 14, the head office of the church made a decision on homosexual acceptance that split the happy family of the church right into two. From what I heard, that was the result over a large part of the nation. And boy, did it get UGLY.

From that point on, I started to see things a little more clearly, recognized the snide and cutting comments for what they were, and became increasingly disgusted. By 16 I'd had enough and walked away. I did try to go back twice, each with an open mind. The first time ended when I was told that my now ex-husband was the head of our house, and that it was ok for me to work literally 4 jobs while he sat on his butt drinking expensive hooch and downloaded girlie shots all day. Instead, I walked away from the church AND the husband! The second time was after I was remarried with 2 young children. We hit a rough patch like many families do at one time or another, and during 6 months not a single person could be bothered to pick up the phone and just ask how we were doing. We'd been attending for 5 yrs. We didn't return.

In the past year my husband and I have realized that we do wish for spiritual fulfilment, and that the pagan paths are right for us. They make sense to us and they just feel right. He is currently investigating the path of the Asatru, and I am walking the road of the pagan Druid. This is still very new to us, and this blog is a place where I will probably bounce ideas, work things out, and just figure out my way through the forest.