AWOL

*sneaks in*

Ahhh - life ......... it has a horrible way of kicking one's booty when one thinks things are going along too well!

I have had a pretty intense and traumatic couple of weeks and I just needed to take a step away from the keyboard and spend some quality time with me and my family!

Anyway, we are nearly back to normal and just in time for the most fantabulous, wonderful event to happen (and after losing Mum I needed some happy, happy, joy, joy)!!!!!!!!!

*waits for drum roll*

My Bestieboo is coming from Canada to spend two whole, wonderful, Witchy weeks with me and mine!

I have to say I'm beyond excited and can't wait for her to get here! 

love Raven x x x

K is for .... Kindred Spirits

*sighs* - I was hoping for something a little easier in the PBP - but for K all I could think about was Kyanite, Karma or Kali .... then in meditation it came to me Kindred Spirits

The definition of a Kindred Spirit is:

A person that shares beliefs, attitudes, feelings or features with another


That's such a weak definition - I personally believe a Kindred Spirit is a Soul friend, what the Druids would call an Anam Cara - someone that knows you and is with you regardless of location, age, gender - it goes beyond physical love, it encapsulates everything that is good and wonderful!

This connection goes beyond friendship, there is no pretense, there is no 'hiding'  - there is only a complete and utter acceptance that warts an all you are together in this and probably many, many lifetimes to come.

When you find your KS - you know, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever, it may be your husband/wife/child/sister/mother ......... it could be your neighbour down the road, or (as in my case) my Sister from another Mother over the Pond ....... 8,000 miles separates us, an ocean lies between us - but the connection is so strong that I know when she wakes up, when she burns herself with the straightners and when she has a headache .... for her part she feels my emotions too!

However, based on the above definition .............. I have several close and loving Kindred Spirits with me and each and everyone of them is as part of me as my fingers, toes and blue eyes .........

LOL - maybe next PBP blog will be something better than my mutterings :)

love Raven x x x

Forgiveness ...........

I've been playing on my iPhone and I downloaded an app.... Angels of Atlantis Oracle - and basically you press a button and it draws a card for you each day .... I was skeptical - and being honest I still am that an app is capable of sending me the card I need!

But, one thing it has done is got me thinking about the cards it is sending me - and today's was forgiveness so...

Do I forgive people ... yes I do - I also spend a lot of time thinking about other people and how my actions will be perceived by them, I worry that my words will be mis-understood or mis-used.  So, when I get something wrong, which is inevitable as I am only human after all, I beat myself up about it.  

I rarely, remember to forgive myself ..... so today's mantra has been ...... Today I am going to practise the art of forgiveness - doesn't mean I will accept inappropriate behaviour - just means I am no longer vested in holding bitterness and anger for something I can't control or against myself!

love and blessings

Raven x x x

Wednesday 23rd May

Card today: Movement ~ You are in a time of Positive movement (Reversed)




Do you feel you are going round and round in circles and getting nowhere fast. Do you struggle to see any end to the frustration you are facing? No movement is wasted movement - and so tho you may feel you are going round and round - you are in a spiral and in reality are going up and up ...


(sorry about the picture quality new iphone camera !!)

Tuesday 22nd May

Follow the Leader ~ Every Life is a teaching tool for others.  Your authenticity and honesty are an example to those around you ...... (Reversed)

Are you not speaking up?? Are you allowing others to make decisions for you that aren't serving your needs?? Drawing Following the Leader reversed indicates that now it's time for you to be open, honest and talk about what you need for things to run smoothly. 

iPhone, Birthdays and Flowers

I've been a busy witch since we last spoke - I'm now the proud (and bald) owner of an iPhone ... yes, it's wonderful it can do this and that and has an app for pretty much anything you can think of - but would it 'kill' someone to put a manual together that would give the slightly technologically challenged amongst us an idea of what the heck we are doing??????  Five hours were wasted trying to find a ringtone I'd downloaded - only to find out that the phone hadn't come with the latest software ........... Hence the baldness!!!!

For the sake of my sanity I have to say I haven't yet looked into synching my phone with my Kobo!!!

Yesterday was my birthday and I knew it was going to be a tough day, this is the first birthday after the passing of my Mum, so I knew I was in for a rollercoaster of a day - add into the equation that I am on the fast track train to Fiftyville and there's an awful lot of emotion swhooshing around .......... but, I got through it with the love of my family, friends and faith ..... I know that my Mum is in Summerland and is having a ball!! Yesterday, I meditated and pictured her surrounded by flowers ..... I love synchronicity as later on my cousin came to see me with a bunch of flowers that looked exactly like the ones I'd seen round my Mum ..

Beautiful or what ????


Love and Blessings

Raven x x x 

J is for Juggling!

This week I'd really struggled with what I was going to write for the PBP - I researched Juno, looked up Jupiter and meditated on Jera ... but at the end of all that I decided that I was going to write about Juggling...

Not very Spiritual I hear  you cry..... ahhh but it is - you try and hold down a full time job (green ball), run a house (blue ball), have young children and a husband (yellow ball), an elderly father (pink/blue stripey ball) and honor the Goddess and live a Spiritual life (red ball) ......... there's more but I've run out of balls!!!

I guess if you want me to get Spiritual I'd say it was a lesson in balancing - but balancing brings to mind a beam with weights on both sides - or the balance of shadow and light!

My Spiritual life is much more a circus act of juggling and blowing my own trumpet I'm getting very good at keeping all the balls in the air!!! .... every now and then the Goddess will decide I have it too easy and throw another ball at me - or I'll drop one - but more and more I am learning to prioritise and Juggle my time so that I can spend time with each 'ball' and not feel that I am neglecting any others!

So, how do you juggle the demands of mundania and honoring your Spiritual life??  For me it's making time - time for my daughter, time for my Dad, time for hubby, time to meditate - but it's not like a fixed time - I don't wake up and then run my day by the clock .............but somehow with much juggling I get everything that I need in my life into each day ....... I could do with a few more hours tho - especially when I get lost in a meditation or in a good book!

Love Raven x x x



Image courtesy of Dreamstime.com

Creation 'splanation ....

Once upon a time I belonged to an online school and for one of the homeworks I had to write a Creation myth ...and that got me thinking - well it would  ....... so after much false starting I wrote my creation myth - this is how I would want to explain it to my daughter or grandchildren - and who knows it may be right..... 

When people ask me how the world was made and how man and woman came to be, I tell them this story from the Old ones

Softly the starlight fell on Her as She floated in the sea of inky blue darkness alone She traveled the universe, floating as one with everything, but something was missing – what could it be that She would need?

She needed light She thought and so from deep within She brought forth the Light, the Light warmed the skies and was the balance to Her Darkness.

Eons passed with Light becoming Dark and Dark becoming Light – when suddenly the Light said, “we have so much love between us, let us share this love” So, She gathered the dust from the stars and made a ball which she placed near to the Light, not too close, but close enough for Light to warm the ball.

Light was happy with his ball and named it Earth and ran around circling it She chased Him and they played happily together.

One day She felt sad and wept for her sadness, these tears fell as rain and landed on Earth, the tears created Seas, Lakes, Ponds and Puddles so now the Earth had water and things began to grow trees and plants rose up and up to reach Her to thank Her for their birth. As the roots delved into the Earth they moved parts of the ball and created mountains and plateaus.

A tree grew, a mighty Oak that grew so tall it could whisper to the Light and Dark and it asked for knowledge which it sent down it's trunk for the other plants to hear.

Light circled the Earth and watched as plants grew tall, then withered and died with each cycle making the land more fertile, so more would grow, Light grew sad, He wanted others to share this Earth.

She listened to Light and decided that Earth needed more than plants, She took herself away and quietly set to work and made birds, fish, animals and Humans, little people that She gave a bit of Light and Dark too, each one was made differently, but each one had a spark of Her in them to help them see from where they had come from.

She gave each heart love, joy, compassion and Knowledge and as Light moved round Earth She placed them after He had gone. As His circle completed He soon saw the birds and animals and Humans and laughed bathing them in warmth

The Humans felt the warmth and danced with joy and happiness and tended to the plants and ate the berries and drank the water from the land.

As She circled behind the Light they felt the coolness and saw the blackness of the sky and they would cover up and lay down and rest – so Night and Day were born, Light ruled the Day and She ruled the Night

During the Day when the Light was on the land the Humans would work and eat and tend the plants with love and pride, the mighty Oak was listened to as he carried the wisdom from the Lady of the Night and Lord of the Day

And that is how the Earth was created

You may be wondering why I've put this here - and the honest truth - I don't know I just know that I didn't want to lose it :)

love Raven x

Wednesday 16th May

Today I want to talk about love, love is easy, love comes naturally and love helps the world go round... Well, some of those things definitely ... love does come naturally and love does help the world go round - but love is easy ........... no way!!!

Love is hard - it's not difficult to fall in love, but to stay in love .... that's the hard part, after the initial rush of endorphins - staying in love with the man that snores, farts and has feet that smell like something died in his shoes - well ... yep that's hard ...... I'd like to point out that I may or may not be talking about specific people here!!!

And it's hard to stay in love with the world - when it seems that you are being sent one problem after another, after another, after another - because we all know that good and bad comes in threes! It's hard to 'not take the world personally' sometimes.....

But, when you view the world through 'rose-tinted' glasses isn't it wonderful - everything seems brighter, mundane tasks seem easier and life just flows more beautifully..... and here's the best part - we fall in love everyday...... Every day is brand new it's a new day full of wonder, excitement and the unknown!

I'm going to work hard to stay in love with the world and my place in it, because I love being in love and love the feeling of being in love ........ and the way I see it (through my rose-tinted glasses) is this .... love is definitely better than anger, sadness and misery and the only one that can  make me angry, bitter and miserable is ME, I am the change that I need.

*ramble over*

Today's card:  Home ~ You are comfortable in your own skin - you Belong!

How apt - home is where the heart is - home is love, it's where we feel safest and at peace and at one with ourselves and with our surroundings! - Yep I am home

love and blessings to all

Raven x x x

Tuesday 15th May

I have just watched an episode of the Simpsons and it's the one where Bart burns down the Christmas tree and blames a robber so the town rally round to give them money and presents ......... ultimately Bart tells the truth and I forget the rest .........

It made me think - not about Christmas but about being materialistic - and whether it does buy happiness and that led me to thinking of recent events and how we spent many a happy Saturday as a family playing cards and games - no TV, no electronic gadgetry - just a pack of playing cards, some nibbles and family.  I think that's one tradition I can continue now Mum has passed!

Today's card:  Moonlight ~ Your intuition allows you to see beyond the mundane, logical and analytical.  Follow it

Ohhh what a beauty of a card - yep follow my intuition that's something I am learning to do and one part of that is to learn not to over analysis or second guess myself - this is my gift from the Goddess and I must learn to use it!

love and blessings

Raven x x x

Monday 14th May

Well I went back to work today .... it's nice to be missed - and I was super busy so the day sped past which is good!

This morning I mediated, anyone that knows me knows that I normally meditate at night when the house is quiet - but I was saying my Prayer of Thanks this morning and the next thing I knew I was in my Aura bubble merrily drifting up to the Moon and sending love back down to the Earth, it was a beautiful, unexpected, gift from the Goddess!

Card:  Magic Stream - Everything is connected through the universal flow of consciousness (Reversed)

That picture really doesn't do the card justice - but it's so lovely!

Anyway,  if upright this card says everything is flowing as it should and that you are fully in the moment - then reversed this card is telling you that swimming upstream is going to get you nowhere fast.  There are times when willpower and tenacity will ensure success - but, this is not one of those times.  You can't force inspiration.......... what you can do tho - is float and let the Universe take you where it may...... 

I am going to float off now and have an early night doing what comes my way!

love and blessings

Raven x x

Rune Draw..... 13th May

Hagalaz - Disruption, Elemental Power

This is the Rune of chaos and disruption, travel will be marred by obstacles and delays - but..... it is also the Rune of change and freedom - instead of seeing the obstacle as a delay - see it as a detour and a chance to take in some different scenery!!

Sunday 13th May

Shhh - but I'm feeling a bit better today - I definitely feel more myself and feel that I can actually get some stuff done today .. or I may treat myself to another lazy day? Bearing in mind I have work tomorrow - I will have the lazy day ... maybe get outside and spend some time in the sun - yes - we in soggy Britain have sun - well sun and clouds!



Today's Card (s)



Compass ~ As long as you orient your compass to true North - the direction of your higher power - you will never be lost



Into the Unknown ~ Trust and all will be revealed

Not sure that either of these cards need more explanation - I am entering uncharted territory and I have to trust that as long as I focus on working with my higher power I will be guided to the right outcome / path!


love and blessings

Raven x

Saturday 12th May

Sheesh - what a week I've had - much of it spent in bed 'resting' - while my body got over the icky virus that got me .... I guess that's the Divine's way of telling me to slow down (if not stop) and to take things easy!

Today is the first day I've felt like doing much of anything - but instead of running around doing the shopping, I'm doing some spiritual work ...

Today's card is:

from Colette Baron-Reid's The Enchanted Map.... isn't it stunning??

I love this card I like this card - it tells me that nothing is impossible - I can reach the stars and that I can clearly see not only where I have been but more importantly where I am going - from my advantage of height I can see if there are any obstacles in my way and soar over them! It tells me that I've put the hard work in and now's my time to glide effortlessly on my way!

This card got me thinking, about my Path and how I deal with things that rear up as I travel along and I can honestly say that I have changed a lot since my very first days as a scared newbie dreading the thunderbolt from above if I made a mistake!

Life is for living and this Path is for experiencing, enjoying and working and yes for flying - for when we fly we can achieve what we thought impossible and stretch ourselves in all ways .........

People will ridicule you, people will try to take your achievements away from you - let them - because the only one you are walking this path for is you (well you and the Divine) and as long as you can look yourself in the eye and say "I am the best Witch I can be" then you will always be the best!

And, personally, I think the people that ridicule others on the path show themselves up far more than the people they ridicule - but that my dear readers is a rant for another day - today the sun is shining, I'm flying high and seeing clearly - so I'm going to have a nice cup of tea and then go and feel the energy of a cactus ..

love and blessings to all

Raven x x x

J is for Jealousy

Jealousy is an insidious monster, it doesn't arrive with a bang and say "Hey look at me I'm the green-eyed demon you've heard so much about" because if it did you would prepare, shield and knock that demon right out the park.

Jealousy sneaks, it twists and turns, it manipulates and it takes our greatest insecurities and gives them a voice and a rather loud voice it has .... it can drown out reason, sense and love! And it attacks the heart ......... jealousy is all about feelings and emotions - those lovely ethereal things that flit in and out of our lives .....

Jealousy doesn't reason, jealousy doesn't come and say "ok today you are going to be jealous because X looked at Y and you like X" and then wither and die .... once there jealousy will take over like Ivy growing over a wall it will happily be the only plant in the block, it doesn't like to share and will strangle any other living thing in it's way.... even if that means it will eventually kill the host. Jealousy doesn't stick to one thing either it will start with X looking at Y and will then happily move onto Y laughing with Z... it doesn't do boundaries natural or supernatural - it will taint everything with a tinge of green!

How do you prepare and defend against jealousy ..... with love and a lot of hard work - but you can't do it for anyone else they can only do it for themselves - they have to realise that X is capable of loving, laughing and having a good time with others and that it doesn't demean their relationship with X (or Y come to think of it) at all .........

I've lost many a good friend to Jealousy - they've resented the fact that friends can be friends with other friends and not lessen the friendship with them - I've been the person they've festered the jealousy against - blaming me for the non-existent loss of their friendships .......... all because they are under the infection of jealousy!

If there is one emotion I truly hate it's jealousy - when that sucker gets his grips on  you - it takes a very strong person to 'get out from under'

*Rant*

I apologise in advance as this is going to get 'ranty' ....

I am the mother of a pre-teen, she is at that 'lovely' age where I know nothing and the TV shows, her peers and (if I'm lucky) her Sister knows more than I do .........

So, what's got the bee in my bonnet buzzing .......... well, let me explain - Swearing.......

First on my rant list is FaceBook and society's acceptance of the use of the F and C swear words being used as commonly as Hi and Howdy! - ok I'm not a prude, I can and do swear like a trooper but not in front of my kids - never have and probably never will... Yes I know they will hear it and pick it up from their friends, but when I was that age the C word in particular wasn't used that much and most certainly not by a woman!

The second on my rant list is a bit more personal I guess - now my daughter as I've mentioned is at the impressionable age where she's becoming aware of her body and the media's perception of the perfect body, my daughter (bless her) is not a big girl - but she comes from big stock, so I preempted trouble down the road and purchased a few books geared towards pre-teens and I have to be honest and say that the books were really good - they explained things in a way that she really 'got'!  So, imagine my surprise and downright disgust when I found that my daughter had 'friended' the author on FB,  had registered to the authors blog and twitter only to find more f'ing and jeffing then a sailor!

Again, each to their own and if that's the kind of language the author uses then so be it - but come on - don't write books full of hints, tips and advice on how to make a young girl feel good about herself and then use the most despicable language where said girl can read them - honestly!!!

I think we, as a society, are now so 'numb' from the shock tactics employed by the media that we think nothing of seeing the most hideous of pictures and hearing the most horrendous language - I listen to the teenagers that live around me - and if I took the swear words out then the most they say is Hey, You, Off.  An episode of the Simpson I watched recently had the word Crap in it - is this really the way we want our children to talk ???

English is the most eloquent language, there are words to describe most things in a way that anyone can understand, do we really have to resort to everything and everyone being an F'ing C .... ???

Rune Draw ...... 6th May

Wunjo ~ Joy, Light

Woot, woot - this is the Rune of Celebration, fly the flag, hang up the bunting - whatever you are doing today you are going to have a great one and be successful in all your endeavors .... Wooo hooo let's hear it for Wunjo!!!

Rune Draw ..... 4th May

Raido - Journey, Communication (Reversed)

Do you feel that you are hitting your head against a brick wall, and that people are mis-understanding you ??? - no matter what happens how you react is up to you ..... however, Raido is here to tell  you that any blockages, disruptions, detours or failures in communication are actually re-routing opportunities sent by the Divine!

I is for Initiation

Initiation - hmmm - let's look at the Dictionary

in·i·ti·a·tion  (-nsh-shn)

n.

1.

a. The act or an instance of initiating.

b. The process of being initiated.

c. The condition of being initiated.

2. A ceremony, ritual, test, or period of instruction with which a new member is admitted to an organization or office or to knowledge.

3. The condition of being knowledgeable.

  

I have had a number of conversations regarding Initiation versus Dedication - and it seems to me that people get the two confused!

Starting at a Wiccan school a new student, has to undergo training and will only be able to begin initiation after studying and meeting course requirements, group initiations are not allowed. Only the initiate and the initiator are involved, or the initiator and their Priest/Priestess working together. The initiator has to be of the opposite sex to the initiate, reflecting the male/female polarity of the God and Goddess.... now how does that work when you are a solitary and don't have a Coven in your vicinity - well you can join an online school.

Being honest, I have never initiated to this Path or to a Coven or Grove - I have dedicated myself to my Path, my Coven and my Grove - to me an Initiation is to commit myself totally to that to one thing - my loyalty should not wavier, however, as a Dedicant if my journey takes me to another level - or to another branch of the Path then I am not breaking any vows or promises. 

This may be simplistic, this may be a 'cop out' - but it works for me, as I am learning I find myself studying different aspects - I've studied with OBOD, I've studied with other Witch schools - but ultimately, my Path took me to where I am now - but had I initiated to a Grove or to one of the other Witch schools - then would I be able to do what I am doing now ????????? I don't know - all I know is if I make a promise - as a woman or a Witch then I will honor that promise / vow .......... 

love and blessings 

Raven x 

Rune Draw ....... 3rd May

Teiwaz ~ The Warrior

Warriors painted Runes on their shields before battle - and the most common symbol is Teiwaz because this is the Rune of courage and dedication. This rune also has within it the urge for conquest either of Self or of others, the arrow points the way!

Rune Draw ...... 2nd May

Gebo ~ Partnership, Gift

You have just been kissed by the Divine ........... this rune is all about giving and receiving the gifts that are bestowed upon you!  It's also a message to let you know that you are loved and that the Divine has given you the gift of love to share with others.

Tuesday's thoughts

It's been a very long day today - the school is open and the first students have been welcomed ..... there's a lovely happy buzz about the forum and it's brilliant - so many things have conspired to make this a wonderful experience  and I'm looking forward to walking this Path with some lovely people - teaching and being taught at the same time!

That's the wonder of this Path for me - that I never stop learning and I learn from everyone I meet .... admittedly some of the lessons are not as nice as the others and some are definitely tougher to get through but from the newest Witch to the Oldest Crone - I've learnt much and I'll continue to learn ........... Woot!!!

Now it's time for a nice cup of something, a nice relaxing bath and a meditation with my Shaman Quartz - this piece of crystal has been calling my name for the best part of the evening so far and there's only so much you can ignore Spirit before you get smited .................!!

Beltane blessings to all


Raven x x x