I wish peace and harmony in all the homes, pagan, pagan-friendly, and non-pagan, this Season of Thanksgiving.

Sitting On A Dream

I wish I had more clues to the mystery of My House to share with you. But, then, that’s what this month’s column is all about…

To sit patiently with a yearning that has not yet been fulfilled, and to trust that, that fulfillment will come, is quite possibly one of the most powerful “magic skills” that human beings are capable of. It has been noted by almost every ancient wisdom tradition.
~Elizabeth Gilbert~
(thanks for such an apt quote, SatiMidnight!)

The theme of the past month, for me, has been sitting on a dream. Knowing, waiting, believing. All without the usual “hurry!” attitude.
It is human nature to identify and then attempt to possess things which we feel are meant for us. I am very human in my pursuit of possession of My House. I do yearn to climb her stairs with baskets of folded laundry and to make a fire on her hearth. To fill her rooms with thick, perfumed smoke as I consecrate and bless her, and sleep deeply inside her walls.

Yet, as great as the temptation is to ‘wish away’ the space of time between now and the day I hold those magical keys in my hands, I have been mindful of the urgency not to.

The place I live now (a mere 3 blocks down on the same street as my beloved House), is really quite lovely. It possesses every characteristic I painstakingly added to my list when I was conjuring a new house prior to our move. Not the least of which is a brand new central air/furnace which keeps the temperature roughly 50 degrees cooler inside than out, this summer.
It also has my garden out back, which met my every criteria when I asked for it. It overflows with vegetation and the promise of an unprecedented harvest.
I really have no reason at all to even want to move, except that I know my Dream House is just 3 blocks down. So close, and yet, so far away.

In my desire to be united with My House, it has been so tempting to feel “rushed”. Like meeting your soul mate and not being able to build a relationship with them…yet.

When our family came for the long Fourth of July weekend, we were crammed to the rafters in our current modest-sized home. I spent half my time wishing we were in the spacious new House, and the other half being grateful we didn’t.
I had such trouble imagining my whole family ‘camping out’ on the first floor because the upstairs isn’t quite inhabitable, yet. Well, not by Mother-in-Law standards, anyway.
I also was grateful that the house we were all in had the glorious amenity of air conditioning, so we all slept comfortably, unlike the sweltering temps in the completely un-air-conditioned House.
I was grateful for the appliances and plumbing which accommodated the whole lot of us with well-maintained ease, unlike the new House, in which the kitchen sink shoots straight up in the air when turned on.

As I yearn to spend the evenings on the grand wide screened-in porches of the new House, I am also thankful I have a beautiful yard and bug-proof gazebo right here, 3 blocks down, to enjoy.

I have forced myself not to allow the yearning for what will be to eclipse the wonderful blessings that are now.
And it has been a challenge, to say the least.
But I know in my heart that to rush is to miss the numerous blessings along the way. To hurry is to discount the journey.
I also keep well in mind how nice it is to flip a switch and have power come flowing into my light bulbs. To enjoy clean, modern conveniences not long forgotten or having had to be scrubbed, remodeled or repaired.
The challenge to restore the Old Girl is daunting, and I know it will consume my every waking hour, not spent at work, from the day I get those keys in my hot little hands, on.

So, as I wait, to watch the mystery unfold, I remind myself, often. Life is good right now. There is no rush to the future. There is no need for haste or anxiety.
Enjoy living in this present moment. This air-conditioned reality. This solid, clean, modern home.
There will be plenty of time later for scraping walls and sweeping endless piles of remodeling dust.

I am excited for what is to come. But I will not allow it to preclude my happiness right now, in this moment.

Perhaps this is not the next-installment of the mystery I was hoping to write about. But it is the next stage of the journey that carries me closer to my Dream manifesting.
I pray that all of you are in dogged pursuit of your Dreams, and that you are taking the time to be mindful of the blessings right under your nose, as you pursue them.

Brightest Blessings All!
Willow

This is such a magical time of year, when the Maiden is dressed in Her finest, and the lush, verdant energy of the season seems to stir young and old alike.
This time of year always makes me so grateful for my Path, and an appreciation of the simple pleasures available all around me. I walked for years without taking notice of these tiny treasures, and it warms my heart to take time to truly see and be grateful for them, now.
The spider web covered in dew. The palest of green leaves sprouting off bare branches.
With a turn in the weather, folks come outdoors and spend time on their lawns and in flower beds planning, tilling, dreaming.
It seems Divine inspiration has descended on the whole hemisphere and the people and animals alike are feeling reborn anew.

This time of year always makes me want to join them, outdoors, and I tend to neglect the indoor chores. But even in this seemingly inconvenient event, I find, the Maiden has a lesson for me. Bless this mess, she whsipers, with a giggle, as I squirm for ways to avoid having to begin the washing up.
This puzzles me, for a moment, as My Goddess has never spoken to me in tired cliches. What in the world is She talking about?
Then it hits me. I have all these dirty dishes because I had food this week. We ate abundantly and without worry. No dishes means no food, and as I pray for abundance always, this suddenly strikes me as significant.
My in-box is overflowing (almost onto the floor) and this is a sure sign of business transactions, of bills being paid, and orders being received. Isn’t that the whole idea?
So, as I start some wash water for dishes, I chant to myself, Bless this mess, for it means I was blessed. Thank you, maiden, for showing me another way to perceive this.

I find that even as the breeze tickles the wind chimes, and stirs them to song, laughter has been filling a lot of my days. There is a spirit of joy that has come to live with me here in the hedge, and I smile with gratitude when I remember all the little jokes and puns and silliness.
I have many friends in this new town, and I appreciate them all so much.
These, too, are gifts of the Maiden, as Her joy is boundless, Her whole youth spread before Her like a picnic blanket.
her joy is contagious and I laugh along with Her in this time of renewal.

And while Her Magic feels neverending in this very active season, I feel compelled to stillness. To listen to the owls hooting from the top of the giant maple tree. To walk quietly along the sidewalk, breathing in the scent of growing things being carried on a playful breeze. To stop what I am doing and just Be.

There are so many blessings this time of year, I am remiss in forgetting to mention more than I have. I invite you to find your own blessings of simplicity and nature this verdant season.
And to take time to commune with the Maiden, the carefree, innocent, joyful nature of nature.
Bright Blessings to each one of you!

We are all, no doubt, aware of the economic situation in the United States, at this time, and keenly feel its impact on our own way of lives.
The media gives us cause for concern each time we switch on the set.
The situation for many is dire.
And while this gives most folks a real reason to be fearful, I suggest, perhaps, we Magical People have an opportunity to enjoy a blessing that only people of Faith can.

We pull together as families and communities and covens to meet the needs of those closest to us. Perhaps this is a time to make extra rice or noodles, and invite neighbors for a nourishing meal and heartfelt conversation.
There is much “belt-tightening”, and we clip coupons, find sales and cut back in order to make our budgets stretch further.

But I suggest there is more we can do. And it just so happens, it is the very thing we are the best at!
After much thought and consideration, I have concluded that we can eliminate the feeling of hoarding and lack through a change in our mindset.
We already believe in some form of the concept “as above, so below”.
We believe that we can visualize and manifest the material using our spiritual energy and personal ritual.
I believe that this is a time for using this belief and ability to its fullest potential.

We all know the physical sensations that accompany a wave of fear. The tightening chest, perhaps a bead of unbidden sweat rolling down your temple, pounding heart, accelerated respiration.
When we begin to allow the fears of the unknown (ie, how we will pay the Past Due electric bill, or manifest enough dinner out of the random and unrelated items in our pantries) we can start to feel the sensations of fear creeping in around the edges.
Once allowed to take root, the fear can grow and multiply, until we cannot sleep, or concentrate or even function, if left unchecked for long enough.
We become accustomed to feeling ‘stressed out’.

When this happens, we are feeding energy to the lack in our lives with every fiber of our being. More powerful than the most effective spell, this resident fear has the ability to manifest additional lack in our lives. The situation gets worse and our lives suffer for it.
This is no more phenomenal than the Law of Attraction at work.
What we perceive and give energy to is what manifests in our physical lives.
When we ponder lack and insufficiency, we manifest lack and spiraling despair.

With this understanding, we can utilize this same principle to manifest abundance and hope.
Being able to recognize the physical symptoms of stress, at their onset is key to the success of retraining the psyche to manifest wealth and abundance.
We can head the fear “off at the pass” and realign ourselves with the Divine.
Using nothing more high tech than the breath, we can stave off disaster in the present, in the form of stress and worry, and in the future, in the form of additional problems.
Spending time truly inside your own body, and knowing what it feels like at rest is crucial. Taking a few moments each day to be fully at rest, and breathing deeply and evenly gives us a window into what our body feels like when it is calm.
Then, when the easily-recognizable symptoms of stress and fear begin to happen, we can use this as a trigger to begin to return ourselves to a state of calm. Breathing deeply and evenly, and focusing on nothing but that.

We can grasp the sense that the Divine wants us to be happy, live in abundance and take care of one another. If we truly trust this process, we can calm our minds with the mantra “What is meant to be makes room for itself”.
When things happen that seem to be terrible, we can realize that this is a necessary situation to bring our lives into closer alignment with the authentic life we are meant to be enjoying.
Beginning and ending the day with a prayer, meditation or mantra of this sort can help to train our minds and spirits to react in a calm and trusting way.
When difficulties arise, we can draw from this pool of trust to ease our spirits back into a state of calm, and reaffirm our commitment to live our authentic life.
Changes must often be made in order to bring us into the place where we are ready to receive the blessings we have been clamoring for.
And while change in itself is stressful, and the unknown is so scary sometimes, we can trust that What is Meant To Be makes Room For Itself.

Further, a visual aid can sometimes help retrain the spirit to attract what we need. My personal favorite device is the 3×5 card. Post it Notes are also excellent, as you can affix them to many different types of surfaces.
Having reminders of our intention can be quite useful when we can consciously forget, and be swept away into fear.

* All my needs are met in abundance
* I have more than enough of everything I need
* My pantry (refrigerator/bank account/wallet/etc) is always full.
* Abundance lives here
* I live in harmony and calm.
* More and more I am changing into the person I want to be.
* My life reflects my desires.

Any affirmation can be used, so take these ideas and create some that really specifically suit your situation. Always use positive words for your affirmations, because what you say is what you get (ie, “My needs are always met“. NOT “I don’t want to be poor”. In the same way that children don’t respond to negative words like “don’t!”, the Universe can work more efficiently when we focus on our desire, not what we wish to avoid).

Placing these reminders in areas we are most likely to need them is essential to our success in overcoming our fear-based habits of worry and negative mindsets.
The car, the fridge, the bathroom mirror, the wall in front of the bed- all excellent locations for an affirmation reminder. The more we see them, and say them, the more likely we are to begin to incorporate them into our mindset and our subconscious well of resources.
Eventually, we begin to remind ourselves without them, in situations which call for it, and our conscious brain will hollar out the affirmations when we need them most.

Once we have retrained our spirit to draw to us what we want, rather than what we wish to avoid, our abundance comes to us easily. As if by magic, in fact. The obstacles to our happiness begin to crumble and our truest desires are made manifest.
This is not a fairy tale. This is a practical application of a Universal principle that benefits every aspect of our lives, both spiritually and materially.
Used with due diligence, it can change our lives.

Now, in the meantime, additional practical steps can be taken to help us live a magical life on the budget we currently have to work with.
The best tips I have to offer are as follows:

Ways to Save :
**When using candles (for non-divinatory purposes) keep wicks trimmed, and flames low. Freeze candles for 2 hours prior to burning to prolong their burn time.
Use tea lights for short rituals. They often come in multi-packs, burn for a couple to several hours (depending on type and quality), and are much less expensive for regular use.

**Buy teas in bulk. Almost all magical people drink and use teas. Buying loose teas allows us to buy what we need, without the added expense of having them pre-bagged. A strainer or cloth tea bags are re-usable, and this also allows us to be more ecologically friendly as there is nearly no packaging involved with bulk teas. Store your teas in glass (or plastic) jars with tight fitting lids, in a cool dark location for longest shelf life. Only buy what you think you will use in a month or 2 at the most.

**Form a Magical Co-Op. Many of us need the exact same items, and when we buy in bulk, and divide the product, we can save literally hundreds of dollars a year. For example. An ounce of bulk, dried lavender flowers runs, roughly, $1.75 an ounce, or around $20 a lb. If you can find 4 people to go in on a pound with, the cost is $5 each, and everyone gets 4 oz. each. Each of you have saved $2 on buying it by the ounce, and have 4 oz. to enjoy. Always try to buy in a large quantity, as this is where the discount is.

**Use items gifted by nature in your practice. There are a million and one things we can buy to use in our practices, but the items which are found, and are literally falling off trees, can be our most powerful magical tools. Take walks and begin to notice the amazing number of things which are just lying there, waiting for you. Leaves, rocks, sticks, flowers, feathers, soils all manner of magical items are available to us in abundance, we just have to look for them.

**I know this is going to sound oversimplified, but remember the library. are an expense that many of us are not able to afford right now. The library, our old trusted friend from the pre-internet age, is still awaiting our arrival, with many wonderful secrets, stories and diversions to share. All for free! Also, in many libraries, there is free internet access, for those who don’t have their own internet service.

**Make your own! This goes for lotions, potions and foods. The library and internet are jammed with recipes for the most glorious and decadent bath products imaginable, many of which can be made from everyday kitchen items. The product is gorgeous and the benefit of having crafted it with your own hands, and your own specific intentions and empowerment is amazing. Returning to the kitchen to prepare nutritious meals not only saves money, and is better for us, but also gives us another opportunity to bless the utensils, food items and space for abundance to come and thrive.

**In that same vein, we can make our own convenience foods easily and with no more effort than microwaving a single plate. Prepare a large meal one day a week. Then place individual servings of it into microwavable storage containers and freeze them. When you come home late from witching, you are only 3 minutes away from a hot, healthy, home-cooked meal. The containers can be reused, and the process can continue. If you cook more than once a week, always make extra and save it away for another time. The frozen servings are also easy as pie to transport to work, remain mostly frozen until lunch time and save a fortune on take-away food. To say nothing of the health benefits. The same can be done with bagged snacks. We can buy the more economical large bag of chips, crackers or trail mix, and then simply place a serving into a seal-tight sandwich bag and pop it into purse or briefcase for a snack during the day without a trip to the vending machine.

**Clean out the closets and cupboards and make room for new blessings. ‘Tis the season for spring cleaning to begin to creep into our thoughts. Why not start a give-away bag? As you clean, begin to deposit items into the bag for donation. Each item that goes in represents a space you have created in your life for a blessing. There are lots of people who would love to have your gently loved items, and you now have room for something new and fantastic to come into your life.

**If you decide not to donate your items, have a garage sale and sell them. You make a little cash, and someone gets a lovely item they may not have been able to afford new. Make cake, brownies, cookies and/or punch and sell slices or cups at your garage sale, and make a few more bucks. If you have a craft or special talent for making an item, have some available for sale. There are a million tiny ways to generate income, and at this point, every little bit helps.

In a time where many are running around, filled to the brim with uncertainty, this is our time to shine. Be proactive about your situation. Remain hopeful, and cultivate hope in others. Make more than enough dinner and sit down and share it with someone who might not.
Be regularly mindful of what you do have, and shut out thoughts of lack. A little gratitude goes a long way.
I’m sorry for being so long-winded this month, but in these times, I felt compelled to share.
I pray abundance and prosperity comes to live in each one of your homes and lives.
Blessings of Optimism and Renewal

The Time of Balance Shifts to Darkness:
Embracing The Crone

In every season, there are lessons for we observant humans.
In the spring we have rebirth and renewal. The lesson of the Maiden.
In the Summer hard work, followed by abundance and plenty. Lessons of the Mother.
In the Fall we have dying back; the inevitable and necessary death which must come to all living things. But, also, the promise of another cycle to come. These are the lessons of The Crone.
The Crone understands that Her job is the one we fear most, as humans. So much so, we have painted Her face green, made her hair wild and ugly, and her nose embellished with the odd wart. We have made her a devil incarnate, because of our inherent fear of the ultimate Unknown which She represents.
She comes to us in the moments of transition. Her time is the Time of Fall becoming Winter and Winter becoming Spring.
She accompanies souls to the Underworld, and sees them safely to their next destination.
She dwells in twilight and darkness.
She is there when a new soul is born into the world and is present when an old one shuffles off its mortal coil.
She understands our need to ‘avoid’ Her. And yet, has so much wisdom to share with us while we still live!

As a Hedgewitch, and priestess of Hecate, these lessons have been brought home to me in ways I mightn’t ever have imagined. I always assumed that my Matron goddess would be a sweet, Motherly type. One who smells like cinnamon rolls and always has something encouraging to say. A fierce protector of Her children, but a gentle spirit.
Yet, when I sought my Path, and a goddess to guide me, it was Hecate who arrived on the scene.
Not a Motherly type at all! Though, She embodies all the elements of the Triple Goddess, and hence represents the fullness of Motherhood, along with the freshness of the Maiden and the dark treasures of the Crone.
Her lessons are often harsh ones. Death must come to all life and life to all death. She is the fiercely protective goddess I imagined, yet, is only interested in Justice, and when called upon, will mete out justice to ALL parties involved. So, a tip, woe be unto you if you call her in on a job where you feel wronged, but have a part in the blame (which, by the way, is nearly always). Everyone gets exactly what they deserve where She is concerned.
She is unafraid of letting us fail, spectacularly, because we learn so much more from failure than from success.
Her Wheel’s name is Karma and She is content to watch us bring our own destruction to make room for our authentic life. The one we were meant to live.

Now, it is not merely Hecate who rules the dark half of the year, and Cronedom in general. There are many, many Crone goddesses to meet the needs for wisdom of all the children of earth. Perhaps your own Personal Crone looks nothing like Her. Perhaps yours is a wise and kindly Grandma, who smells like cinnamon rolls.
Crones come in many forms and yours will be the very one you need in order to embrace Her. We have need of Her wisdom in all the phases of our lives.

It is not only in death, as an end to our mortal life, that Her lessons shine through. When the leaves fall, as they are doing now, it is a Supreme aspect of Her lesson. The lesson of Letting Go.
The leaves do not lament their change of color, as it is their most amazing feat! They do not weep when their stems grow dry and the wind catches them. They simply swirl to the ground, and become organic fodder for the tree that nurtured them.
Their lesson is our lesson. Letting go, and allowing Nature to take Her course does not have to be sad and dreary. Without the fallen leaves, there wouldn’t be fertilizer for the tree, who rests and awaits the promise of new life again next Spring.
Just as in our own lives, we needn’t mourn the end of things and become saddened. The end of a cycle simply precedes the beginning of another. There is a wait involved, but this is the way of all things.
Just as we waited for our seeds to germinate and grow and develop into our plants, which will later feed us, so must we await the renewal of life in its own time.
Winter’s barren beauty is a grieving period, for all the life which has ended. We do take time to pause and reflect on what has been removed from our lives. But we needn’t be without hope. Winter is a season, just as Spring is, and each one follows the other in its way, just as it has since time began.

So, in honor of the Crone, and Her many lessons of life and death, light and darkness, cycles of Nature, I devote this column to Her wisdom, and suggest that this may be a time in each of our lives where we embrace the lessons of the Crone. Look around and watch Her effect on the world. The leaves fall to remind us that it is perfectly all right, and safe and natural for us to let go of things in our lives whose time has come to end.
This can be habits, relationships, and material things.
Encourage the Crone to come and bless your life with Her lessons. Clean out the closet, cupboard and pantry. Give unneeded things away to make room for a new blessing. Make your bounty of donations an Offering to Her.
Light a black candle by the Dark of the Moon, and invite Her to come and sit with you. Embrace the lessons of the Darkening of the Year. In a season of “spooky”, be not afraid of Her wisdom or Her lessons. She was our first friend and will be our final companion. But this soul-transition is not Her only gift to us.
Take a moment and petition Her to show you the lessons She has for you, while you yet live.

Embrace the Crone and Her wisdom.

Brightest Samhain Blessings to all!