The Witch's Circle ~ An Intro

Yesterday I wrote about a blogging friend, Aine at The Deepest Well, and how she has started some discussions on Witches and Magick. Many fellow Bloggers have used these topics as blog prompts for posts of their own. And now I am (finally) writing my own post about my journey.

I am a Witch. I have always been a Witch, though it took many, many years for me to realize it. I did not grow up with organized religion being a part of the household. (Though my Mother did send me to summer Bible School.) Gods of any sort were just something I read about in books but I wouldn't have considered myself an Atheist. I did believe that there was a Greater Being. My beliefs in deities, spirits, and the like were (and still are) greatly influenced by the Native Americans of the American Southwest where I grew up. I devoured any and all books I could find about Native American religions.
I spent a lot of time outside while growing up. I learned about plants and herbs while helping my Mother in her various gardens. I was happiest when I was able to commune with Nature. The Spirits of the Trees, Flowers, and a plethora of other plants thrived under my Mother's hand and I am fortunate to have inherited her abilities.
I was in my late 20s when I ran across a book on Magic. This led me to books on Wicca. But Wicca did not resonate with me - it was too organized, too elaborate.  I felt most comfortable in a solitary practice close to Nature. I would be considered a Green Witch, but not of the Wiccan persuasion. The Great Outdoors is my temple. I observe the changing of the Moon along with the changing of the seasons where I reside rather than set Sabbats on the calendar. I believe that every living thing has a spirit which can aid in spellwork. The Elements and the various forms of Weather can also give their assistance. I utilize spells on a regular basis. I try to incorporate herbs, colors, candles, minerals or crystals in my spellwork. And yes, I will perform binding spells when necessary. I will not intentionally cause anyone harm, but I will protect those who are near and dear to me.
Since the weeks leading up to Yule and the Return of Light are typically a time of introspection, I feel that this is a good time to use Aine's posts as blog prompts and write of my own experiences and beliefs. I hope you'll stay tuned......

~ The Witch's Circle ~

Aine at The Deepest Well is a dear blogging friend and I enjoy reading her posts. She has started some ongoing discussions about Witches and Magick ~ these posts are all labeled The Witch's Circle. She has discussed a variety of things - from Commitment to Candle Magic to how Science may play a role in Magic. These discussions are friendly and enlightening. Stop by her blog if you get the chance......
And she is currently hosting a giveaway for the book The New Death and Others by James Hutchings. Click here!

Life As You Know It....

Will never be the same. If someone had told me this back in May, I never would have believed them. At least not entirely. I knew things in my Life were transitioning - Hubby & I moving back to Colorado and Hubby getting a new job - but I had no idea as to the extent of those transitions!

At the end of May, my Son-in-law was arrested and taken back to Colorado to stand trial. This left my Daughter, 4 month's pregnant at the time, to cope with her Husband's arrest along with relocating herself and their 3 small children to Colorado. Fortunately,  enough Family members came forward to help her with the move. And Thanks to the generosity of her older Brother - my Oldest Son - and his Wife, my Daughter and her kids have a safe, warm place to live (Daughter and kids moved in with Oldest Son and his kids). To quote my son, "Ah Mom, That's what Family does for each other. Helps each other out in time of need."

Life hasn't always been easy for the combined two housholds - 3 adults and 6 children in a small house. But they have managed.  And I know that they will all be a closer-knit family because of this 'togetherness' - eventually. And Life has been an adjustment for Hubby and me (and all the critters!) as well. We went from having a huge house all to ourselves to a small house filled with small children - especially right after Baby Liam was born when the Clanlets (3 grandchildren), Mom (Daughter) and Baby Liam temporarily moved into Transition House (the name I have given our home here in Denver) so I could help with the care of the Clanlets.  Liam is now a month old and Daughter and the Clanlets have moved back to Older Brother's place.

But wait! There's more..... I am now Hubby-less for most of the week, only seeing Hubby on the weekends. Hubby came back to Colorado in July hoping to get a job in the computer field, only to find out that the jobs he was qualified for did not pay all that much. So he went back to seeking employment in the auto-body industry. He found a job quickly, but it was not to last. Hubby didn't agree with some of the  "work practices" of his employer, so he left. He searched for over a month, constantly perusing the help wanted ads. Finally, a job appeared on the horizon, thanks to my Oldest Son (who is also in the auto-body industry). The only catch was, the job wasn't in the greater Denver metro area - it was in a small-ish mountain town located in the heart of Ski Country (approx. 1 1/2 hrs away). Hubby took the job. The company Hubby now works for is a great company and he enjoys the people he works with. He is provided a small bachelor pad over one of the shops to stay in during the week. So now Hubby leaves on Monday morning and I don't see him again until Friday night (unless we Skype...).

My, how Life can change in the blink of an eye.....

I am writing of these changes today because they have impacted me (and others) in many ways. And I plan on blogging about some of these impacts in the coming posts. And yes, the Sunday Art feature on this blog will continue, beginning December 4th!

Thanksgiving Every Day

Thanksgiving Every Day

The table is brimming with good things to eat;

We're surrounded by family and friends; what a treat.

The feelings that fill us today can't be beat;

It's Thanksgiving Day, and it all feels complete.

But other days, sometimes, things don't seem so fine;

Those days are not polished and don't seem to shine.

It's then in our minds, we forget all the good,

And think of the things we would get, if we could.

On days when our thinking causes us dread,

If we could remember, it's all in our head,

And not let our minds take our gratitude away,

Then we'd make every day like Thanksgiving Day.

by Karl Fuchs

From Our House to Yours,

Happy Thanksgiving!

Recognitions

Life has been a bit complicated, stressful, and hectic of late and I am long overdue in saying THANK YOU and recognizing some wonderfully generous folks.

First, I would like to THANK Angelwick and Punky of New York City Dreaming for the most adorable Pumpkin Suncatcher!!! Their thoughtfulness and generosity certainly brightened my Halloween!

And next I would like to THANK Rue of Rue and Hyssop for the book Spirit of the Witch by Raven Grimassi. I won this book in a giveaway she hosted. I'm looking forward to delving into this book.

So, if you are out and about in the blogosphere, do stop by and tell these lovely folks "HI".  Their blogs are fun and interesting. And a new friend you just might make!

Rules for Being Human

1. You will receive a Body. You may like it or you may hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.

2. You will learn Lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called Life. Each day in this school, you will have the opportunity to learn Lessons - you may like the Lesson or think them irrelevant and stupid.

3. There are no Mistakes, only Lessons. There is a process of trial and error; experimentation. The 'failed' experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately 'works'.

4. A Lesson is repeated until it is Learned. A Lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it.When you have learned it, you can go on to the next Lesson.

5. Learning Lessons does not end. There is no part of Life that does not contain its Lessons. If you are alive, there are Lessons to be learned.

6. 'There' is no better than 'Here'. When your 'There' has become a 'Here', you will simply obtain another 'There' that will again look better than 'Here'.

7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your Life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. what you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your Answers lie inside you. The Answer's to Life's questions lie inside you. All you need do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

11.You can remember it whenever you want.


Author Unknown

A Hiatus

My time is not my own anymore....my daughter, Jennifer, and her three kids have temporarily moved in with us while Jen recuperates from having little Liam. In addition to being chief cook and bottle washer, I am now also chauffeur, activity director and referee. I shall return when I can.