Finding Balance with Nature's Help

On a previous blog post, I remember stating how I was stagnant and lacking motivation. Do be careful what you wish for, as the saying goes. I've been highly motivated to do just about anything and everything however, organizing said motivations and activities have proven to be quite challenging. I want to do so much and attempt to do as much as I can that I find myself running on empty, quickly burning out and start screaming at the top of my lungs, with arms flaying around like Kermit the Frog would do on just about every episode of The Muppet Show I used to watch as a kid. So what's a Witch to do? Home baked chocolate chip cookies can only do so much...

As previously stated, I'm working on my dedicant work with ADF. One of my assignments is to enhance nature awareness and attune yourself to the land. Much of it involves connecting with the Earth and observing the environment around you. At first it was quite difficult since it was just raining everyday. I love a good rain fall and I've occasionally danced in the rain. However, I really don't want to be communing with my amphibian neighbors in my yard, so I prefer to walk outside when its dry and windy :)For probably two weeks now, I've been stepping outside and make my rounds, unfortunately not staying outside for too because its been so bloody hot. However, it hasn't been the case for the past couple of days. Last Thursday I decided to prop a lawn chair under a flowering tree in the corner of my yard and found my lovely oasis. Every time I would step outside I'd feel a bit more calm and relaxed but since I placed the chair and sit outside for a bit each day, I feel a whole lot better. I feel grounded and a bit more serene. I come outside during the day before noon and then some time in the afternoon because the tree and the wild flowers in this area seems to bloom around this time. I enjoy talking to the butterflies that fly about and greet the lizards the skitter around the bushes. I also have long chats with the little spider that lives under this tree. Its quite peaceful. Every day I seem to find something new in my area, different species of butterfly and finally some bees. I was worried that I wasn't seeing any about. I hope to put more flowers in this area and create a small altar in the corner. I'll be posting pictures soon of my new found friends and flora that's all about.

These lovely outings help me to stop, ground and center myself. And remind me that I need to be patient and not over work myself. If you listen, you'll hear what she has to say.

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Changes in the Air...

I wish I could write more often on this blog but something always manages to come up. Either I'm working on a project or running around. But more often than not I really do have much to say however, it becomes cumbersome to move forward with it. I become over critical of what I write on paper, even more so on the blog. Too much to say or too many feelings to sort out and not sure how to put it into words. In the end, its just easier to put it on the back burner. On the other hand, I like to blog without obligations. When the mood strikes, its appropriate to write. But secretly I would like the mood to strike more often.

I've started working with an online group for my ADF Dedicant work and they're just the loveliest group (or loverly group) and I've become chatty with a couple of the other dedicants. It's a great feeling to strike up conversations and share input with others on the path as you are on. I enjoy sharing experiences and learning from others. Since we're constantly evolving, there's always room for growth. Don't you think? :)

Last week we were discussing the different high holidays and it will come up from time to time in our coursework because we'll have to write about the eight high days including writing about our experience during the days. One of the questions that came up in conversation was how do we know when a particular holiday is coming up. Do we just know because of weather change or because we look on the calendar? Well I look at the calendar almost everyday so I keep track of our next holiday. But wouldn't be nice to go by seasonal changes? Sometimes it's a bit difficult having that "feeling" when there's a change in season living here in Florida. Our springs are quite short, summer is way too long and fall and winter just bunch up together so its not too cold sometimes but not extremely hot. It just feels as if summer just squeezes in between fall and winter because its up to shenanigans. So unfortunately, we don't experience the change too much as others north of South Florida.

Well every day, I step outside to view what's going on in my backyard. Part of our studies include observing nature around us. I don't usually have a chance to go the park and its too bloody hot to do that lately so my back yard is the next best thing. I love my back yard. We have herbs growing, all sorts of flowering trees, birds and butterflies flying around, bees make an occasional visit or two, lizards jumping around greeting you and spider's keeping the yard buggy free by working hard on their webs. It might not be a plethora of flora and fauna (though I am working on including more flora back there) I find it to be a peaceful sanctuary. While enjoying my step outside, drinking my coffee, I confirmed my suspicion as I do each year. I felt it this morning but wasn't sure but there it was. The change in air. It was very small, not like the year before. I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy to have that change back; but sad to know it wasn't that strong. Changes in our climate does that. But of course we shouldn't dwell on that. But the change was there. It was such a wonderful feeling and then a gust of wind picked up around me, telling me that it acknowledge me, like I acknowledge it, like it does to me every year. And I know the more I step outside, the more greetings I'll get til the weather finally changes. And patiently I will wait.

I embrace change. Probably more so than I would've ten years ago. Without change, we can't evolve.

The Root of the Powers of Water

Before I forget, here's my card for the day...




Tree of Life: Kether (the eternal, spiritual) through water (the spring of soul)
Astrology: Signs of water

The Ace of Cups shows the way deep into our soul, to detect beauty and trust. It stands for the sources of love, for growing feelings, the desire for a relationship or the readiness to have a friend.

Referring to the Kaballah, the Ace of Cups is attached to Briah - the world of pure feeling and sensitive intention.It is the female counterpart of the Ace of Wands, representing the female element water as a sign for devotion and care.
The card also tells that the beauty and the ugly are two poles belonging together. Without shadow, there's no light - and mud is needed to make liliths blossom.


Drive: The desire to melt in one another, sympathy, devotion, the beginning of a friendship or passion

Light: Emotional capacity, fertility, productiveness

Shadow: Alteration, diffusion, irrational thinking, hysteria, loneliness

Love and Healing

Its been almost two months since I last wrote on my blog. And I've attempted to write twice on it since them. Something always came up from finishing. I still have them saved as drafts; in case I want to post them again.

I've been very stagnant and lacking motivation in just about everything. Which has led me to be down and out with myself. However this past week I've tried little things, here and there to pull me out. I started exercising and started working on my crafts again. However, I still have my reclusive moments.

I celebrated Summer Solstice with friends. They're are part of a coven and from time to time they invite me to participate. I had a lovely time as I always do. The focus of this ritual was on the recent catastrophe that has plagued the Gulf of Mexico. We all made lovely witch's ladders to join our energies together.

With all my down in the dumps emotions, this was quite uplifting and decided to create an Gulf Healing Altar. I've been wanting to do an ocean altar but didn't know how I wanted to put it together and this was a lovely opportunity to do so.



I'm very happy on how it turned out. In fact, I think its beautiful. I'm really happy with how it looks.



Unfortunately I didn't have any Gulf water with me. It's been a while since I've gone to Florida's West Coast. I have fresh water here with seashells; envisioning clear waters again for our Gulf. Below my jar I have petitions for Cymoploeia, Delphin, Thaumus and Pontos.



Here I have sand and shells with a petition to Psamanthe for our beaches.



Of course I can't forget Poseidon. In front of the candle I placed my witch's ladder along with my shell necklace. I also placed shells on the shelf.

I also petitioned to my patroness, Artemis. I try to keep abreast of the situation as much as I can handle. I can't bare to see what all these animals are going through and the emotional toll that its taking on those trying to help those that can't help themselves. I do hope this will end soon but the outcome of this pain will probably be worse.

Procrastination...

Or is is merely just laziness... It might a bit of both but I have not sat down to write since last Sunday. I had an experience on Monday that i wanted to write about and after much thought, I decided against it. That's not something I want to incorporate in the focus of this blog. However, I really haven't had much to write about. I've been trying to get rid of things I don't need. I've created piles for my yard sale, for the Goodwill, for two friends that are traveling to Ecuador and for up-cycling and recycling. Other than that, I have not taken time to read like I wanted to nor have I continued working on projects I started last week. I haven't even had a chance to write down about my Beltane experience. Oy vey. >.< My goal this weekend is to create a schedule for the week and continue to do and follow it. Organization is the key...I just need to find that key! ^_^ I am motivated though, so I'm looking forward to accomplishing more goals. As stated in my last post, I will let you know what my daily card is. I was shuffling my deck and out popped out The Empress. What does she have to say? Here's the explanation taken from Raven's Tarot

The Empress is the friendlier, more approachable aspect of the female archetype. She stands for maternity, love and mercy; at the same time she's a symbol for sexuality and emotion. She is pure feeling, absolutely unintellectual, but basically life. The Empress is the Great Mother, representing the beginning of all life. She is the power of nature, causing change, renewal, major plans.

The Empress also stands for passion, a phase in which we cope life on an emotional and joyful basis, rather than on the thoughtful. This could mean great satisfaction, but in a improper context, when actually more analysis is needed. The Empress can also stand for a reflective, emotional attitude, refusing to accept reality. It also could stand for a person who is greedy for joy and abundance when actually just more self-control is needed.

Drive: Devotion and maternity, Mother Nature, creating something new in connection of both inside and outside

Light: Maternity, love, trust, fulfillment, the joy of great abundance

Shadow: Greed, envy, jealousy, laziness

A Fresh Re-Start

And yet again I begin a new blog... ~.~

I have a very bad habit of starting many projects and only finishing a couple. However, as of late, I have been finishing some here and there...that means I'm making progress.

One of them is writing... ~.~

I've always enjoyed writing, along with many other crafts, however, I always put it on the back burner; some excuse always creeps up to pull me away from them. I have made it one of my goals to see this one through and hopefully flourish.

What do I hope to accomplish with this blog?

Well, apart from actually sticking with it, and expressing my thoughts and ideas as most blogs tend to do...but hopefully reaching out to other artistically-inclined, not so ordinary pagans, just like me :)

And to kick off my start of a new blog, I'll give myself a one card reading from my Thoth Deck. And the card of the day is...Four of Swords

Here's the description of the card from DigitTarot:

Tolerance; stabilization; lull in the fight The Four of Swords is called Truce. This seems rather on the lines of "the strong man armed keeping his house in peace". The masculine nature of air makes it dominant. The card is almost a picture of the formation of the military clan system of society.
The number Four, Chesed, is here manifested in the realm of the Intellect. Chesed refers to Jupiter who rules in Libra in this decanate. The sum of these symbols is therefore without opposition; hence the card proclaims the idea of authority in the intellectual world. It is the establishment of dogma, and law concerning it. It represents a refuge from mental chaos, chosen in an arbitrary manner. It argues for convention. The hilts of the four Swords are at the corner of a St. Andrew's cross. Their shape suggests fixation and rigidity. Their points are sheathed---in a rather large rose of forty-nine petals representing social harmony. Here, too, is compromise. Minds too indolent or too cowardly to think out their own problems hail joyfully this policy of appeasement. As always, the Four is the term; as in this case there is no true justification for repose, its disturbance by the Five holds no promise of advance; its static shams go pell-mell into the melting-pot; the issue is mere mess, usually signalized by foetid stench. But it has to be done!

I think this card summarizes thoughts over discussions I had today...