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

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'

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 

I is for ........ Intuition

It's that time again - the PBP and this week we start our letter I ......... I thought I had pretty much decided what I was going to write about Intolerance and Injustice - but I'm not feeling it today - so that left me with Intuition ............

If I had to label myself then I would label myself an Intuitive Witch - if it feels right I do it .... I don't seem to follow the mainstream on a lot of things but when I look up what I do - well, seems I'm pretty much covered with ancestors that have walked before me. 

That's great 99% of the time - but every now and then I will hit a boulder and have an almighty wobble - because intuition is extremely hard to validate!

Let me clarify, if I was to 'get the feeling' that you weren't at your brightest and best and I rang you up and said "hey how you doing (ala Joey from friends) and you replied "Fantastic, how are you?"

You see, in that instance....  well I'd say I was 'off' and that my intuition is about someone else or something...... however, later that day you become very upset and miserable and feel very down but you say nothing to me - well, my intuition was right on the money .......... but unvalidated!

You see, the Universe doesn't wear a watch and seldom does the intuition hit at exactly the right moment - which is why you hear so many Empath's and intuitive people saying ....I've got this feeling, something I just can't put my finger on!

However, when it is validated - whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee what a rush!

H is for Healing

I really didn't think I would be able to do another H post - especially as the previous one got no reaction at all - maybe I hit a nerve I don't know - perhaps I should have done H for Honesty.  But as I'm sat here I'm thinking of H is for healing and I'm actually thinking of one particular aspect of healing.............

Tears


I'm a Brit - and I've often pondered the reasoning for the Stiff Upper Lip - don't cry, don't show emotion, be stoic - why???

Tears are healing, they allow the sadness, desperation, grief, anger to flow down your face without any effort on your part - ok, admittedly you end up with a headache, puffy eyes and runny nose - but even the runny nose is cleansing!.... I've yet to meet anyone that looks good crying!

Think of all the times you've cried, when  you were a child you cried and someone would come to wipe your tears away and give you a cuddle and tell you that everything would be ok .......... yeah, I know we soon grow out of that and then we 'pretend' that it doesn't hurt, we 'pretend' that we are ok and that we can deal with all the brown, smelly stuff that gets thrown our way!

Tears are a way of showing you hurt, you don't have to bleed to hurt, you don't have to have scars or injuries, emotionally we are all a walking mass of bruises, scars and cut arteries so how can you show that - cry!

Let the water flow and when you do let the tears take any negativity, self loathing, anger and grief away - wipe it on a tissue and toss it down the loo!

H is for ............ Hypocrites...

I know harsh or what ........... but it's something that has been brought to my attention more than a few times this week.  So, what is the definition of a hypocrite........

hyp·o·crite

 [hip-uh-krit] 

noun

1.

a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

2.

a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hypocrite

I think I've talked about it before, people who 'talk the talk' but don't 'walk the walk' .. we are Pagan's we have the freedom to study from all walks of life,  we can be as Eclectic as our Path guides us to be - and we celebrate that, we love that and  we discuss how other religions don't allow that sort of freedom, we talk about the rules that they have and how it's not so much a case of Thy Will Be Done and Thy Will Be Don't and then some small minority amongst us try our hardest to make sure that anyone who says they are Pagan follows their way of practicing the Craft, no discussion  - it's a do it my way or you are WRONG mentality!

Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with anyone telling me that they have an alternative way of casting a circle, or chanting a spell, or mixing that potion and I am ALL about the learning .... what gets my goat is people laying down the law to me especially when they have no experience to back it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Several times recently in the various groups I belong to I have witnessed people being made to look foolish by 'longtimers' and it's made me angry.  Nothing gives anyone the right to 'diss' anyone's way of doing things - so they may walk the circle with one trouser leg up and one down - so what!!!???  They may want to paint the candles with glitter and sprinkle bird seed in their ritual bath ...... SO WHAT! 

It's not your way, or my way and what gives us the right to judge - we don't want to be told how to practice our Craft, if we did (then forgive me, but) wouldn't we be following a more mainstream religion????

Before, anyone starts yelling - yes I know there are new Witches and Pagans that are just as pompous, overbearing and RIGHT as longtimers - but I like to think that they will, as they work with Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, see that we can not judge anyone else for being right or wrong! 

I really fail to see how this small minority can walk this Path and yet still fail to see the irony of how demanding they are that they follow the only 'true and right' way to practice the Craft!

 In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust 

Raven x x x

Image courtesy of google search - no author given

H is for ...... Help!

One thing I have learnt on this path I follow - is that I am really, really bad at asking for Help when I need it.  It is assumed that as we are Witches, Light workers, Healers etc - that we have the ability to solve every problem or situation that comes our way!

Why are we so bad at asking for help?? Why, do we never ask for that helping hand??

Unfortunately, I don't know the answers to my own questions, I would hazard a guess that it's due to shyness, not wanting to be an impositition or any number of inhibitions that will play their part to hinder us!

However, having been through a tough time of it lately and having relied on some extremely wonderful people both blood and non blood family to help me through it - then all I can say is ASK - never be too proud to ask for help - there is ALWAYS someone there waiting to guide you and advise you and to love you ..... even if it's just an ear to listen to you!

And, never underestimate the power of Meditiaton and prayer - I know many think prayer is a christian concept but I pray to the Goddess all the time and I know that She listens to me!

Know you are loved!

Raven x x x

F is for ...... Fancy, Flashy and Fluffy

Yep it's that time again when I have to think of something to write about that follows my life and honours the Pagan Blog Project and today I'm going to have a little bit of a waffle.

One of the things that bugs me about this Path is the amount of people that adamantly tell you that you are doing something wrong if you don't use the right colour candle - or that you can't possibly be a 'serious' Witch because you read Silver Ravenwolf .... I don't want to get into a debate on this - I like her work - I like the way she writes ..... now, does that make me a 'fluff bunny' - probably - and do you know what the people that give me that label know absolutely nothing about me and have no idea what makes me tick!

I know how to have fun, I enjoy walking my Path and the last thing I want to do is have a theological discussion on the merits of my Craft because at the end of the day ........ it's MY path and no one has the right to tell me what's wrong or right about it ..... and that includes the authors I read and the books in my bookcase!

I keep thinking lately about when the world was a much less commercially aware place to be.  Would our ancestors have cared if they lit a blue candle on a Tuesday ......... would they even have HAD a blue candle to burn ???? Would they have cast their spell with what they had to hand, wearing the clothes they had???

Don't get me wrong - I have and will continue to support traders in all things Witchy and my dream day would be unlimited funds and a trip to Glastonbury.......... but do I NEED them to get the spell done ????

Nope, not at all and that brings me again to the dissenters within the Craft .... what is wrong with using what is to hand?  Will the spell work any better if I am wearing the latest robe???

I work with my Shadow, I read anything I can get my hands on, I do my research, I believe in the fae and love a good laugh ......... so, let me ask this ................. what exactly is a 'fluff bunny'???


All images courtesy of google images 

F is for ...... Fear

Again not a very 'witchy' subject but, how many times have you stopped doing something or not even tried to do something because Fear got the better of you???

When we start as 'newbies' there is a wealth of information and we sit and read, and read, and read and read until the time comes for us to put the book down and take the first step to DO something....

This is where the fear comes in, the what if's, the can I really's .... and if you are a solitary then it's quite difficult to get past that fear .....

Fear can stifle you, when you are in a group you have each other to rely on.  When you are calling the quarters for the first time you can 'stand back' and watch how it's done before you 'step up to the plate'.  As a Solitary you don't have that luxury, however, it is very easy to sit there and make excuses as to why you aren't writing that ritual or casting that spell......and to let the fear win!

Personally, it's only lately that I've really stepped out of my comfort zone and fought my fears and done things that I've only read about before............ and do you know what ....... when I make mistakes - the world doesn't grind to a halt, the Universe doesn't implode and I don't get a thunderbolt to the head .... all that happens is I giggle, roll my eyes and carry on. (I also think that the Gods and Goddesses have a giggle with me)

So, to all of you I say - step outside your comfort zone and try something new today - there is nothing to fear but fear itself .......

Blessed be 

bunni x x x

artwork, photo's curtesy of google - no authors named

E is for ...... Esbats

Well, for this weeks E I had a bit of a OMGoodness moment - the brain turned to mush and I just couldn't think of a thing ........ so I sat here and thought and thought (it really hurt and I'm surprised you didn't smell the burning rubber) when I remembered that when I first started I had no idea what an Esbat was - and how in the world did that differ from a Sabbat ........ so, here is my E blog ....

Esbats..... what is an Esbat, well according to Janet and Stewart Farrar it's an opportunity for a "love feast, healing work, psychic training and all."

Many following our Path believe that the Esbat is the ritual observance of the Full Moons, and as there are 13 Full Moons in a year this is 13 celebrations .... hey any reason for cake is a good reason right???

All the Full Moons have names:

Wolf Moon: January
Storm Moon:  February
Chaste Moon: March

Seed Moon: April 

Hare Moon: May 

Mead Moon June 

Hay Moon: July
Corn Moon: August
Harvest Moon: September
Blood Moon: October
Snow Moon: November 

                                                   Cold Moon: December
                                                   Blue Moon: Second Full Moon of Any Calendar Month

As with most things on this Path, there have been different names for the Moons but these are the ones that I use .... My personal favourite is Hare Moon :) 

Now, I believe that Esbat is held with the intention of harnessing the Moon's energy and using it in spell and magickal workings.  This the time when you would attract, banish, protect and work on yourself.  You would use the Esbat to 'power' your crystals etc by leaving them in the light of the Full Moon. 

Part of the Charge of the Goddess says "  Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full," which seems to indicate to me that the Esbat has long been used for magickal work .... ok the charge also goes on to say "and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love," which is full circle to where I started this with the definition of Janet and Stewart Farrar ........ 

love and blessings to all


bunni x x x



Sources:  The Witches Way - Janet and Stewart Farrar 

E is for ...... Empath

What is an Empath, well Wikipedia says "Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings (such as sadness or happiness) that are being experienced by another sentient or semi-sentient being." 


And any Charmed fans will remember Prue being infected by the Warlock with the 'curse of Empathy' and then later on Phoebes' powers growing into her Emphatic ability .........

So, with that definition and TV's portrayal of Empathy .... if someone around you is happy - then you feel happy, if someone is sad - then you feel sad! Easy peasy .... well, no it's not that easy...... Empath's don't have to be around you and see you smiling, they don't have to see someone cry and if only it were just the two emotions, but an Empath can pick up on any emotion even if the room is empty!

I know of Empath's that can be affected by moods on Facebook, if someone is having a truly bad day and the Empath is not shielded then it's not unheard of for the Empath to head to their bed with migraines, bad stomachs and a general feeling of unwellness.....

It's not only people that an Empath will be affected by, places can affect them too.

There is a great blog written by a wonderful Witch here - Wiccan Moonsong taught me how to shield and how to use my abilities, I am still learning and still growing but at least I finally got to give my feelings a name and not just worry that I was just an 'oversensitive crybaby'!!

D is for .... Dendritic Agate

As last week's post was fairly deep, I thought I'd lighten the mood and talk this week about one of my favourite crystals ....... I am by no means a crystal expert - I operate solely on the "I knows what I like and I like what I knows" principle .... So, without further ado - I introduce...........

Dendritic Agate is more commonly known as Tree Agate.

Raw 

There is some divide over this crystal with some saying that they are two separate crystals.... i'm no geologist, so I'm going with what it means to me :)

This crystal is white or off-white dappled with green flecks. It is said to encourage inner peace through certainty and bring awareness of personal strengths, creating security and stability.

It is also know as the Stone of Plenitude and you would place one of these crystals anywhere you would like to encourage abundance and fullness (I carry one in my purse...!) 

Healers would use Dendritic agate to align and correct anything with branches (such as blood vessels, nerves, skeletal disorders). 

Polished 

Use tree agate for channeling tree wisdom and it can be used as an aid to greater understanding with Ogham staves as it is sometimes known as the Stone Of: Druids!

I like this stone - it's a very gentle stone, it's very peaceful and requires you to feel that peace, it's quite forceful in a very slow and easy paced way.  When I hold mine I can feel all the stress and strain seep out my body! 

Associations:
Associated Crystals: Jade, moss agate and rutilated quartz.
Candle Color: White.
Chakra: Crown.
Element: Air.
Flowers & Plants: Any flowering tree.
Herbs - Incenses - Oils: Cedar, ivy, pine and rosewood.
Planet: Mercury and Earth.
Zodiac: Gemini.

D is for .... Depression and the Divine

Yep, this one is going a bit deep ... but come with me as this is apt to get a bit scary for a bunni on her own!

I am / have been clinically depressed, I have fought the black dog of depression many, many times - and I just wanted to take a moment to talk about how depression works in a Witches world - especially one where the art of affirmations, positive thinking and manifesting your reality are all led from your emotions!  Can you do magick when you are sitting in a cloud of gloom???

There is a great child's programme - I'm not sure if it's still being shown called Ruby Gloom and there is a character on there and she is the Queen of Negativity!! ............ Misery



I digress..... Can you do magick when you are facing a pit of bleak??? - well, yes you can - will the outcome be what you desire - pretty much no.... and that's where the Divine comes in - you have to have faith, you have to trust in your Goddess, God, Great Spirit or whatever you call the Divine - and that's one heck of a leap of faith..........

When I am at my worst I don't hear positives I only hear the negative and sometimes I hear a negative that just isn't there - you can say "You look nice today" and I'll hear - Jeez you look cwap 99% of the time good to know you can pull it together when you can be bothered!   So, for someone like me - to read the words 'believe in yourself and it will happen' - there is a HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE voice yelling in my head "Yeah right, of course it will............ hahahahahaha - go on make my day and fail again"...

That's the voice that has to be gagged, that's the voice that sabotages your efforts and that's the voice of depression.

Now, this has been a pretty gloomy blog and I'm sorry for that - but on my wanderings round t'net and in and out of forums I've seen and talked to lots of people with depression, but I've never read anyone actually come out and say "Yes you can walk this Path, yes you can do everything that everyone else can do - but when you are down then it's going to be tough, it's going to be difficult to keep the Faith because this is a Path that is linked to your emotions and if you are in a 'bad' place then light and love has to work hard to find you"

However, one thing I know IF you are struggling and IF you do seek help and guidance then the Divine WILL answer you and WILL light the way back .......... all you have to do is ask!!

love and bright blessings to you all

bunni x x x

C is for ...Challenges of being a Witch in today's society.........

Now this blog serves me right - I was struggling with a C to do and so I asked my Anam Cara - who has a wicked (evil) sense of humour........ and she challenged me to stretch myself and write about Challenges (and not Carnelian which would have been too simple!) 


So, this blog is the Challenges of being a Witch in today's society......... 


My first thought was Help!! followed by hmmmmm - what challenges do I face....... well, I have to be honest and say I am one of the very, very lucky Witches as my family accept my Path and I haven't encountered any real intolerance from friends or acquaintances.  For that I do give thanks daily.  


So, lets broaden my horizon and look at my sphere of FB Witch friends and whilst I haven't got nearly the same number of 'friends' on there as I used to I was still pretty surprised by how many I had - and after I read some posts a picture began to emerge and then I got to the researching on t'net!!! 


Intolerance teemed with ignorance seems to be one of the biggest challenges we Witches face today, from the typical response of someone when you say you are a Witch (do you sacrifice animals??) to the outrageous and stomach churning case in the papers of poor Kristy Bamu (trigger warning - only open the link if you are well shielded). 


How do we change society's perception of us..... well, my method is one person at a time........  If they engage me in conversation!!! 


I am very open about who and what I am - but I know many of my fellow Witches can't be that open and so the challenge they face each day is how to stay 'in the closet' and yet still honour their path and the Divine, one of the things i've read many times that seems to challenge these Witches is the Altar and either not having space or not being able to have a permanent Altar due to conflict of space or attitudes. 

What can we do to change this - well, I've seen many sites that advertise 'portable' matchbox sized Altars ....... Altars in a box  which I think is a great idea.  


Or you could use oracle or Tarot cards (The Well Worn Path oracle cards are particularly good for this). 




I am fortunate in that I do not face many challenges (well, apart from trying to convince my Father than I don't kill demons on an hourly basis ........ he loves Charmed and as he puts it .... "You are into all that Wicca stuff") 


I can talk about my faith, my craft openly and honestly.  I can have my Altar (in fact I have two) and I don't have to hide who I am.... but I know that this is not true for everyone and that for every closet Witch there are four or five closet Witch Hunter Generals out there ........ the burning times may have been in the past but I do fear that they are but a heartbeat away in this intolerant time!   


These are some of the challenges we Witches face in today's society, I'd be interested to hear what Challenges you face and how you overcame them .......... 


love and blessings to all 




bunni x x x

C is for ....... Competition!

I know what you're thinking.... competition that's not very magickal or Spiritual - but hang with me for a moment...

I was going to blog about Carnelian or Cerridwen or any number of other things but I was reading something in Kitchen Witch forum http://www.kitchenwitchhearth.com/ and it got me thinking about competition...

Hands up.... how many of us know those perfect Witches..... the ones that know EXACTLY the right herb, the right crystal, the right moon sign ............. I'm really lucky 'cos I know several :-)    but we all know at least one.......... and how many times have we 'upped our game' to try to imitate or be like them.???? C'mon be honest........

Competition is healthy it's good for you and it can lead to the most amazing discussions and A-HA's as you pool your knowledge with these 'perfect' witches .... but when competition turns to jealousy, envy and pettiness then that's not healthy!!

We can only walk our Path's, we can't walk anyone else's and they can't walk ours, so maybe your PW (i'm a lazy typist....) can name all the herbs in her garden, whilst you can only name a dandelion.... or he can tell you a crystal piece from 25 paces and you struggle with moonstone and quartz, does it really matter??

I'm 100% certain that there are area's in your Spiritual / Magickal life that they aren't perfect in, but you take those for granted as they come easily and naturally .... maybe they are Champions at crystals but they can't tell a tarot card from a playing card. Perhaps they can tell you the difference between belladonna and basil but they can't tell a Rune from a Rubik's cube..............

So, whilst some competition is good and natural - it's when we neglect our own intuition, our own gifts to try to compete with our PW's that's when the problems occur.... for how can you tell if you have a gift for Runes if you spend 100% of time trying to read the cards and getting vexed and stressed because  your PW is a Tarot guru and to them it's effortless but for you it's like swimming upstream for mating season???

Never doubt for one moment that you do not have talents or are not as gifted as the next Witch along ...... you are Perfect but ............in a different way!!!


love and blessings to all

bunni x x x

B is for.........Banishing

Now this is a subject that has got me into a lot of trouble in the past. 


What is the definition of banishing?  


ban·ish  (bnsh)

tr.v. ban·ished, ban·ish·ing, ban·ish·es

1. To force to leave a country or place by official decree; exile.

2. To drive away; expel: 

Now, it's no: 2 that has me in a tizz - and I'll try to explain why...... I am fine with banishing an object or a personal habit .... my one and only spell so far was actually to banish man-made noise from a loved ones' garden - and I had no problem coming up with the wording for that and it worked very well .... I was specific and made sure that 'it harmed none'! 


Now, that's where my tizz comes in - how do I know I am not harming someone if I am not specific ... I am thinking of the banishing all negativity ............ that's not very specific and in my opinion can open the door to all sorts happening that you didn't intend to! 


The other issue I have is the word negativity - some negatives are really good for you, like the negative ions that come from waterfalls, would you really want to banish that goodness from your life???? 


I've been accused in the past of being 'scared' as I had an issue with attending a banishing ritual, maybe it's me - but I couldn't just say 'yes' without knowing the wording or what it was that was to be banished - I guess I'm old fashioned that I like to know what I am agreeing to!! 


I guess I am just a simple soul and I often think that the Divine does a brilliant job and doesn't need me banishing things She has put in my life for me to learn from, that would most definitely hurt me.... 


Why do I have such an issue with one word.......... I have been on the end of a banishing spell - the person that used it against me does not believe in the Rede, talks the talk but does not walk the walk - she did this spell I'd like to say that it had no affect on me - but that would be untrue - she did indeed banish me from her space, however in doing so she showed her true colours to others we were friends with and now she is alone and bitter whilst I am surrounded by loving and true friends ......... so ...... 


The moral of this blog - or merely a bunni note - be careful with you're banishing you may achieve the banishment ........... but at what cost???? 


love and blessings to all 




bunni x x x

B is for......... Bewitched

My first two blogs for the Pagan Blog project were research based, so today I wanted to do something a little more personal. 


Recently I was asked what drew me to Witchcraft and after some thought I have to say Bewitched, I wanted to BE Samantha - not because she was blonde, slim, blue-eyed or had a spotless house - but because she was so able. 

Ok, so the lack of warts, hooked nose and green skin did help!!!   She was confident, beautiful, powerful, smart and above all calm - it didn't seem to matter how chaotic her life became she had the means - the right spell to say that would take all that worry away. 


That's what I wanted I wanted that inner calm and serenity, I wanted to 'know' what she knew .... I've always been drawn to the Arthurian  legends but I never wanted to be Arthur or Guinevere when I was a child I wanted to be Merlin, I wanted to be the one that people came to for answers. 


All the latter day witches are portrayed as calm under pressure, beautiful and talented - able to make a potion at the drop of hat and recite a rhyme on the spot - and for that they need to be connected to their inner calm - to be grounded and fully in the moment (sound familiar???) 


Also, for me,  it wasn't always about the spell - Samantha came from a more moral time, I guess you'd call it an 'age of innocence' (we weren't bombarded every day with images of the depravity that goes on in our culture - man's inhumanity to man and the other creatures he shares this earth with...that definitely is a rant for another blog!!!! ) and she'd often stop to think about the consequences of what would happen if she said the spell.... and I like that aspect!!


They may be just characters on the TV, figments of some writers imagination, but as role models go - I'd rather have Samantha, Sabrina, Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige than any 'rap' star that glorifies gun violence and drugs.......


love 


bunni x x x

A is for ............... Apollo

Well, here goes, it's the second round of A's and I decided I would write about a God - He isn't my patron God, I just realised that for a balance I should write about masculine energies sometimes - plus the research is good for my Soul :) 

Apollo is a Greek God - He is considered to be the God of  Prophecy, music, healing,intellectual pursuits and the Sun - He is often depicted as (in my opinion) a rather handsome young man - now this is good - he is also called Apollo in the Roman Panthenon and is the Brother of both Artemis and Diana (both Goddesses of the Moon)


He mated with a few women and a few men - but he wasn't one to 'reject' the advances of as we see from the stories of Cassandra and Daphne - Cassandra was a Seer and when she rejected Him, He made it impossible for anyone to believe her prophecies.......... but poor Daphne had to turn into a Laurel tree to escape His advances!!!! (although legend has it that it was because Apollo had mocked Eros and so Eros shot two arrows - one into Apollo to infatuate Him with Daphne and one into Daphne making her unable to love anyone.....)

Some say Apollo is responsible for our modern Olympic Games as He was one of the 12 Olympians and one of His great deeds was the killing of the serpent Python (a great big beast terrorising the villages in the hills of Delphi) anyway, Apollo came down from Mt Olympus and with His silver bow he fired a gold arrow and slew the Python - in remembrance of this deed Apollo created the Pythian Games to be held every four years ...............

The most usual attributes of Apollo were the lyre and the bow; the tripod especially was dedicated to him as the god of prophecy. 

Among plants, the bay, used making the crown of victory at the Pythian games, the Laurel Tree (obviously) and the palm-tree, under which he was born in Delos. 

Among animals and birds, the wolf, the roe, the swan, the hawk, the raven, the crow, the snake, the mouse, the grasshopper and the griffin, a mixture of the eagle and the lion.

The swan and grasshopper symbolize music and song; the hawk, raven, crow and snake have reference to his functions as the god of prophecy.

love and blessings to all 

bunni x x x

A is for Aragonite

Aragonites' properties are said to: 

• foster truth, trust and insight by providing understanding into the root of problems
• understand and uncloud perception of reality
• enhance tolerance
• increase energy
• boosts self-confidence and feelings of self-worth
• relieves stress, emotional fatigue and anger 

Healing properties of Aragonite: 

• warms the extremities, bringing energy through the entire body
• aids calcium absorption
• stops night twitches and muscle spasms

Star Clusters promote a sense of balance while cleansing the surrounding energy and can also be used to open yourself to new visions

Aragonite varies in colour and can be white, gray, yellow, pale blue, violet or brown.  Aragonite is a grounding stone and is often used to centre and ground physical energies and stabilizes the base chakra by strengthening your connection to the earth

It was first discovered in Aragon (a province of Spain) hence the name. 

love and bright blessings to you all 

bunni x x x

Pagan Blog Project

You may have noticed a rather snazzy badge that has appeared on the page ....

Well, this is the brainchild of the very talented Rowan Pendragon and basically it means that a group of Pagan bloggers will be blogging every Friday about any manner of things Pagan...........

LOL - for the proper blurb - check out onewitchsway.com for the scoop.........

However, yours truly is up for the challenge and I'm looking forward to researching and growing on this Path of mine with a group of wonderful writers :D

love and blessings to you all

bunni x x x