It Lives!

I have, in fact, not fallen off the face of the world.

Things have been going rather well in my life. I simply fell off the Blogging wagon as I think so many of us do from time to time.

In recent news I have had the privilege to be tattooed with my coven mates. We all got a variation on a key theme. Each with our own take on it. They turned out incredible! I am so proud of every one of us for doing this. What a marvellous experience to share.

I have also been asked to mentor our newest dedicant to the IDGAF Tradition! I cannot express how excited I am to support another persons spiritual journo. I feel so blessed to be able to join with another on this path and offer any guidance I may.

I have been blasting through many novels on my personal reading list and thoroughly enjoying it after so much intensive study for my own dedication period. But I felt that i needed to get back to something more studious recently so borrowed a copy of the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson from my mentor.

I have always loved literature and thought it importantly o know where classics come from. Where certain cultural references have their start. This is a very easy and natural extension of that. I am looking forward to further reading.

It's Official!

Spring has sprung!

Having finished my 7th book for my initaiton I chose to mot attempt to squeeze in an 8th before my initiation date. I did, however, want to maintain that commitment of action so my mentor suggested that I meditate more, do some rituals and try to get back into my land stewardship more now that things are becoming more accessible again.

Today I took some offering out to my chosen spot. It was truly wonderful to get out and spend some quiet time reconnecting. I still marvel at how much I get out of it. It's so simple and yet it is as if being in this material, secular modern world somehow robs me of the memory of what I need and where I belong.


I rejoiced today to see mosquitoes already alive and buzzing atop the snow. Soaking in the warmth of the sunbeams. I listened to the ice creaking and the water gurgling beneath and wept.

I have always taken it as my personal sign of Spring when I see my first robin of the year. Today I was gifted with the sight of 2. Life finds a way.

The Winds of Change are Blowing

This past weekend I attended a lovely low key Ostara ritual. It was just friends and candy mostly. HA!

We spread a blanket on the livingroom floor and had all our "Easter" treats in a basket. Sitting  in the sunshine we had a lovely "picnic" of brightly coloured candies and other eggy things.

We decorated eggs and had tea. We all then randomly picked an egg to take home. I got my mentors! It's on my alter now.

Changes are coming. Renewals and rejuvenations.

My roomette of several years is moving on and my best friend is moving in. We are all thrilled. All these changes are for the best. New lives, new paths, new beginnings.

I can't wait.

Down the gaming hole

As I have heard it called when one has a new video game taking up ones time that should really be spent on other things.

I am "nesting" hard core as of late.

Cooking and baking up a storm. Very out of the norm for me. I am absolutely loving it! The aspect of learning and practicing new skills. Feeding myself, and others, good wholesome food. It's lovely. I even find it a great way to connect with my ancestors. To a way of living that was so much more deliberate. Baking bread has really reminded me a lot of my maternal grandmother who passed away more than twenty years ago. I still leave her a crust with molassas on it to honour her as disir. i think she would like that.

i have finished my required reading for my initiation but since my completion date is not until May 1st I really want to keep this momentum up. Reading is such a big part of my life that I have chosen to continue my research until my completion date.

I picked up Christopher Penczak's Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft and am loving it! i seem to really get a lot out of context for new ventures. To that I mean history of the practice from an anthropological perspective, to the sociological aspects of the new way of shamanism to the very etymology of the very word. With that basic of fact I seem to have an easier time immuring myself into the topic.

OH! I had a flash of insight and I am still excited about it.

I have been trying to think of a way to do some ecstatic workings that would be comfortable for me. A  music festival or club is not always around, nor the place to be doing shamanic working. At random the other day I remembered how much I enjoyed doing poi and knew that I could totally get into that type of excited meditative movement. I want to make my own and just start getting out there again.

Can't wait.

Long Time, No Post.

I have not fallen off the wagon. Well, not completely.

Finished Egyptian Paganism by Jocelyn Almond and Keith Seddon. Really got a lot out of it. Enjoyed the format and the academic references. I am glad that I read it post Penczak though. The larger concepts were easier to relate to and understand with Inner Temple under my belt. I do need to read further and research more but am much more comfortable in my inclusion of some Kemetic type practices and such in my personal life.

Now reading A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve. On the recommendation of my mentor as a starter to heathenism. I struggled to get into this book for no good reason. Perhaps it is because I was reading an electronic format or that I have simply overstimulated myself with research.

I am loving the book however. The actual references to historical documents and reconstructionism is fascinating. As well as having, not only premade rituals, but guidelines and explanations for creating ones own. As a solitary or as part of a community.

Each book I read seems to lead me to the next. Like breadcrumbs. I want to know everything but really have to trust my guides and intuition on what path that will take. And take those steps one at a time.

(I am constantly being told to relax. Take my time. Stop trying so hard.)

In other news, I have been doing a fair bit of meditation. Not just the Penczak guided ones but whenever I have a few moments to myself out of doors. Even just waiting in the cold and snow for a bus is a great time to try and connect with my inner power, my ancestors or guides. I am feeling more entered and connected than I have in a long time.

My land stewardship has waned, I will be honest. That being said I have made friends with the trees at my regular bus stop and thus do not feel too bad for having not ventured out to my other place.

I knew this post was going to be a long one but I really did want to talk about how freaking happy I am now. Living positively. Being that optimistic person that I use to be. I am healing, slowly but surely. I have slipped back and reconnected with a source of energy that is not healthy for me however. I know that I really need to do a cord cutting meditation but not sure I can bring myself to do so just yet.

Trying to not beat myself up about it too much. I know that isn't helpful but even with my veritable font of energy, I can still get down. I just don't like it.

BUT! I shall learn. And grow. And change. And evolve. And forever better myself.

Inner Temple

Finished my third book just recently.

Loved it.

I have really learned a lot from it and think that I will continue to do so. So much so that I plan on going back to do more of the exercises whilst continuing to read other books.

I have begun to read Egyptian Paganism-Jocelyn Almond and Keith Seddon. It was calling my name before I even finished Inner Temple. Where Inner Temple allowed me to contact some of my spirit guides, Egyptian Paganism is allowing me to see things from yet another perspective. It was time for this book.

The information can be a little scholarly at times but I like all the given specific references. It does also assume that the reader has some knowledge of meditations, higher forms, subtle bodies and the like. Since I now have a working knowledge, and the tools to further that knowledge, it is much more applicable.

A recent illness has prompted a thought. I have a hard time centring and accessing my personal power when ill. I know that meditations and communions can have a positive impact on health and healing and so I have tried to be present enough to do so. Do others find do so more difficult when feeling "under the weather"?

I am eager to learn. To grow. I have so much already.  And it's only barely three months in!

Bit Jumbley

So this might be not as coherent as I would normally like but I must get these things down and thus out of my head.

Yule. Was. Awesome!

I loved it. I loved the connection to my ancestors through making food. I loved the lack of pressure that I place on myself. I loved the honest feeling of connection. Best holiday season I have had in a long time.

Spend Christmas with blood kin for the first time in about a decade. It was wonderful to be there and be a part of it all. I really did enjoy it. Things just worked out for me to be around my loved ones.

I did have a rather rough time dealing with some family members and how they choose to see, deal and interact with the world. I am struggling to understand why I seem to take it so personal. It was not even directed at me and yet I found it disconcertingly offensive.

I am going to be thinking long and hard about this and looking for guidance.

The reading goes well. Really liking the meditations and energy work. Now that it is getting more into realms that I am not already familiar with I will be doing more of the assignment's and think I may actually go back to do them all. Even once the book is done and I continue on to the next I will keep this one around for the exercise. I am even thinking of buying my own copy to keep for reference.

Found my meditation pose. Just need to work out how to comfortably support said pose. I plan to meditate more.