My Imbolc 2012

Merry meet folks,
I hope you all had a blessed Imbolc. This is a bit on the late side I know,  but this year's been so hectic that I've decided to break it down into pictures for you. Normally I'll write a ritual for a sabbat, have a little ceremony and Bob's your teapot. This year I've done things a bit differently, in the form of  a series of mini rituals; Imbolc is my big one, having 4 years ago dedicated at this time, so I wanted to make it special. In recent weeks, more than ever before, Brigid has been there for me, and to her I dedicate this.

01/02/12

On the 1st February, the Swansea University Pagan society, which has been growing quite considerably since the end of last year, held the first of the Wicca 101 sessions, a talk about the altar and the current season of Imbolc. Imbolc means 'in milk' and was traditionally the time when the cattle started calving and lambing, and thus giving milk. It is a time of returning of the light, as the evenings get longer and the first whispers of Spring are in the air. 
We introduced to the group the main features of an altar (giving as general an overview as possible given the hundred and one ways of setting one up!), followed by a talk on Brigid, Imbolc traditions from around the world and the significance of Brigid's crosses, which we then made from some colourful pipecleaners.
The Brigid's cross was made by the ancients of Ireland from reeds or sheafs of corn from the previous harvest, and hung over the hearth to protect the home and its inhabitants and ward off evil. The hearth was the central point of the home where the cooking and socialising took place. It represents the solar turning wheel, and also the crossroads, sacred to Brigid. It shows us where we've come from and gets us to think about where we're going. We had a few newcomers to this session and it was enjoyed by all!


03/01/12
My first mini ritual was that of Brigid's crossroads ritual:
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/imbolcfebruary2/a/Imbolc_DivRite.htm
I found a secluded spot in the park and set about crafting this Brigid's cross (made from strips of thick paper, which came out better than you'd think.) The past year has been a bit of a rough one, and thinking back to this time last year gives me the shivers. But move forward we must, and this ritual reminded me of that - we don't know where we're going, but the road goes ever on and on....


05/01/12
The next mini-ritual was the Libation to Brid at the Sacred well by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, taken from a delightful little book called 'Wiccan Wisdomkeepers' arranged by Sally Griffin. For lack of a well I made do with the stream in the park, and collected water in a small ceramic bowl to use. It involves carrying three stones and some pebbles to the well, kneeling before the well and anointing your forehead, throat and heart with the water, and laying the stones, one by one with an invocation, in a triangular shape. The stones are rinsed in the well and placed within the triangle, with a final prayer. To finish, a nearby tree is decorated with ribbons in thanks.
The privacy wasn't fantastic I must say, but this was very much enjoyable all the same, Brigid being a favourite goddess of mine. I can't find the text online but message me if you'd like it. I also gave some milk to the stream in honour of Brigid. 


Next was the nail-biting moot ritual.
The priestess pulled out due to illness a few days before, and told us the ritual would be cancelled unless someone stepped in as a replacement. So gallantly did I wave my little paw in the air saying 'III'll do it!'
And then there I was, in Pagan Standard Time, frantically printing out ritual guides about 20 minutes before we had to leave for Caswell Bay, and getting myself into the most unnecessary of flaps. Alas, so I was told afterwards, all was indeed hunky dory; I didn't invoke Fire in the North, I didn't go arse over heels casting the circle, no-one set fire to themselves doing the wonderful candle dance, the cakes (seedy buns from the Spar, best I could do on two days notice) remained perched precariously on their paper plate, and I didn't choke over my own words during the Bardic circle.
Phew. All in a day's work. 


09/01/12
My Imbolc celebrations would not be complete without the re-dedication ritual, which I do every Imbolc to reaffirm where I'm going on my path. This in fact coincided with lunar Imbolc, or the nearest full moon to calendar Imbolc, which made it extra special for me. I also announce my magickal intentions for the year, which differ from new year's resolutions because you really are supposed to stick to these! I also consecrated my beautiful Pagan liturgy book which I've dedicated to Brigid, and held a mini ritual. Ahh, sublime.

Until next time folks, merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. xxx )O(

Medicine and magick with herbs

Hey everyone,
I hope all are well. Just a quick post to share with you one of my main projects this year. I want to complete a project on alternative therapies, a healing handbook if you will, which I hope to publish at some point. I've divided it into two separate projects: Medicine and magick with herbs, and Medicine and magick with crystals, chakra energies, aromatherapy and colour therapy. I think there's a lot more to be done with the former, hence it has its own logbook.

Medicine and magick with herbs
I initially thought I'd just gather information on each herb, put some remedies and spells down, and Bob's your Uncle. But then I reckoned I ought to do this properly, and inspired by translating notes from the Herbs workshop from the witchcamp in Spain, I decided to keep a logbook and try out everything I write about. The idea is that I want to be able to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and have first hand experience of everything I put down. I also take pictures of every recipe I try and write reviews, what went wrong, what went right, how I could improve it, what to do differently next time. Already some bits have gone great, some a bit wrong, but trial and error doth a herbs guru make!
I never knew there was so much to herbs; herbal oil infusions and digestive teas on the medicinal side, and smudge sticks and herbals pouches on the magickal side have been dipped into and tried out, with incenses, decoctions, tinctures, creams, vinegars, wines, syrups, ointments, salves and much more yet to be explored. It being January, and living in a city, I'm having to buy most of my herbs from the supermarket, which I know is far from ideal, but I think just working with them, getting used to their smell and texture is a great way to begin learning about them before I can hit the hedgerows a few months down the line.
Once I'm on my feet with this one I'll begin the twin project and see how much I can learn about other forms of healing and magick. 

Blessed be and have a good Imbolc )O( xx

2012

Happy New Year all,
as we stumble into the new Gregorian calendar year, predicted to bring about great changes in the way we view religion and spirituality, and our attitude towards our planet. This year, here in the UK we've got the Queen's diamond jubilee, the Olympics in London, and various apocalyptic catastrophes of some description or other around Yuletide to look forward to. For many of us the new year began at the winter solstice, or at Samhain, and for me it begins at Imbolc, the arrival of the beginning of Spring, and the time I dedicated to my path. But what does 2012, and the new year, mean to you?

The Year of Change
We hear of it from time to time, carried on the breeze; The Mayans foretold of it, Nostradamus predicted it, indeed daft movies have been made about it - time to brace yourselves for the apocalypse/ impending doom/ end of the world, thing. But my money's on there being a more positive outcome to December 2012.
In August 1987, people gathered at sacred sites all around the world to take part in the Harmonic Convergence, marking the beginning of a 25-year cycle to 21st December, 2012 that would signal the end of the Mayans' 5,000 year calendar, the end of this age....not, erm, the end of the world. These ideas were promoted by Jose Arguelles, who describes the upcoming event as a 'period of dramatic evolutionary change affecting the whole planet,', a gateway for change as it were. I believe, folks, that we are being called upon to change our ways NOW so that a healthy, unpolluted planet can be passed onto my generation and the next generation, and the next. After all, it is not the planet that is in danger; She can regenerate and start again without us - it is ourselves that we have put into danger through over-consumption, greed and rapid depletion of the Earth's non-renewable resources. 2012 and 2013 are predicted to be years of a shift of consciousness and a rapid change in peoples' view of the world around them, for the better.
Thinking of my mindset this time last year makes me want to bash my head against a wall repeatedly; my expectations of the coming year were so headache-inducingly optimistic that it makes me want to shake my January 2011 self by the shoulders and perhaps give her a wake-up slap. An unwritten New Year's resolution  this year for me is to stop wishing for a perfect and rapidly progressive year, as after all, every year has its great moments and its downright rotten moments (of which there were more of the latter in 2011). But I am game for the idea that there's a lot I can achieve this year, the end of which is meant to mark the beginning of a new age. Perhaps I will begin to come into my own and all the hard work will begin to pay off. Who knows what we can expect?
On the more practical side I want more than ever to put in the most effort I can to learn form the lessons of the Fifth Sacred Thing, to do more than my part to work towards a more sustainable future. I want to grow some of my own food, make more of my own clothes, to finish old projects, to learn and teach to the best of my ability. I've said these things pretty much every year since I started on my path but this year I mean it! This year of all years. I have hope that those who lack guidance and have been feeling lost will come into their own, the idle will be granted motivation to do something positive for the community, the grieving and the broken will find strength and compassion from the Earth's energies to take with them into the new age. I daresay I'm beginning to sound a bit too optimistic again, but I think we can make the Earth a better place to live - after all, its not the end of the world.....


In love and light, a blessed 2012 to you all and courage to put into place what you want to achieve. xx BB )O(

Witchfest

Hello all,
this is just a quick update of the shenanigans and goings on of my first Witchfest last weekend. At the end I've included a video made by the fabulous Olivia, enjoy!

Witchfest
'Humpspohiujbwadhv,' was precisely what went through my mind as the alarm went off at no later than 4:45 am. Olivia appeared to be bouncing off the walls, but I had a hard time dragging my half awake body to Swansea train station, but a beautiful sunrise appearing over the misty fields made it worthwhile. Despite a slight tube-related kerfuffle, we made it to Croydon bang on time and met up with a fabulous teenage witchy Essex bunch. We went to the lovely opening speech and blessings, then hit the stalls. I spent disappointingly little in comparison to my last festival escapade at Barefoot, but was very pleased with my new rune bag, runic lore book, and one of those gorgeous leatherbound journal jobbies. No bookshelf is complete without at least one, particularly not mine. I ended up bumping into all sorts of unexpected faces; someone I met at Barefoot festival, a woman I'm pretty sure I recognised from an Open University documentary I saw a while back on Village Witchcraft, and an old friend I hadn't seen for at least a year. I also ran into a pair of less than lovely faces from the past, but fortunately claws remained retracted (physically, anyway), and thus all was good in the hood. Filming and taking photos was strictly prohibited, but Olivia being the awesome camera-wielding ninja that she is, managed to get enough footage to make a 10 minute video out of it (with a section including yours truly where, not wanting to regurgitate Tiffany's response to 'what do you like most about Witchfest', she had me waffle on about Runes instead.) There was a great range of talks, ones I attended including Phiona Hutton's whisperings in Avalon, Ronald Hutton's Ancient Pagan Britain (which was so popular that there were hardly any seats left when I got there), and Moving Magic, taught by a loud Scottish guy who shared with us some fantastic techniques for circle casting, spellwork and raising energy, all based in movement. But by far the best was the one about the obstacles and difficulties faced by teenage witches, which I was told by one of the lovely speakers might well have been a pretty boring talk, but alas it was met with standing ovation. I was rather impressed. Following the talks, the musical entertainment commenced, and we watched the beginning of the brilliant Daughters of Gaia performance, before having to leave early and say our fond farewells, until next year....

Sea witchcraft and The Fifth Sacred Thing movie

Greetings friends,
Today I want to talk about a branch of witchcraft I knew virtually nothing about before my recent move to the seaside, and also an exciting project launched by my favourite Pagan author and teacher, Starhawk.

Sea witchcraft
I've been meaning to write about this fascinating topic since I moved from a quiet village in Suffolk to the bustling Swansea seafront just over a month ago. From the first time I stepped out onto the beach during the heatwave at the end of September (which has since rapidly subsided into the grey, cold, wetness that we were expecting), I knew I'd come to the right place for University. Sea witchery isn't a popular or well publicised path, but after a quick walk around the seafront I realised what a huge potential there was for it in my practice.
In days gone by, witches who lived by the sea were called upon by sailors to conjure favourable winds for safe passage over the oceans; they were attuned to the power of water and specialised in controlling the weather. Nowadays sea witches tend to be solitaries who use all types of water and weather magick as a central feature in their practice. Everything from the weather, the tides, water in its different forms, the properties of differently shaped shells, and different types of seaweed etc. can be used in sea witchcraft. The sea witches' tools are made as much as possible from things that can be found on the beach; work is in progress at the moment on a driftwood wand with a seaweed handle (rather than leather or suede etc) and a long shell point (rather than a crystal), a candle made from a bowl-shaped shell, beach runes painted on small shells or stones, a dreamcatcher made from seaweed, driftwood and seagull feathers...the possibilities go on. Given that I couldn't do this topic justice with my ramblings here in my blog, I offer you the most extensive and comprehensive website I've found on the subject, which makes great reading for any witch, particularly those living by the sea....
seawitch.org


In the news
"Where there's fear, there's power," Witches say.
In 1993, when this blogger was but a wee tot, Starhawk, Wiccan author, teacher and activist wrote a novel about a ecotopian San Francisco set in 2048.....in this city the concrete streets have been torn up for gardens and streams which flow freely between the rows of homes, children are brought up speaking at least 3 languages in schools where knowledge is taught in a hands-on basis, and anything that must be learned by heart is set to music; cars have been largely done away with and public transport run on vegetable oils; every home has a garden big enough to grow food to feed each household, and each family and collective is interconnected; the city's defence is managed by women who dedicate their lives to 'dreaming and listening'; music, arts and cultural and religious diversity are valued second only to the four sacred things of Earth, Fire, Water and Air - things so important to life that they cannot be owned by anyone. But an ever-lingering threat lurks outside the city's perimeters - the fundamentalist, militarised nation that dominates the rest of America and threatens attack to reclaim the city for their own at any moment. The main theme then that Starhawk explores in her novel is this: 
How does a society rooted in peace defend itself against violence, without becoming what they're fighting against?
Now Starhawk is working on making the novel into a film, to try to bring her message to a wider audience. Film making isn't generally considered a very green or sustainable industry, but she has created a 'Green Plan' in an attempt to set new standards for environmental accountability in film production. The Kickstarter campaign launched over the summer to raise funds to start the project exceeded its target and now the exciting task of casting, set and costume designing and bringing the novel alive is under way. Below I've included some useful links for the project, general information on what its all about, how to get involved if you think you have a skill that you can contribute, and a video by Starhawk about her vision for the film and for the future of our planet.
I hope that some of you will be inspired to get involved in some way and support this wonderful woman's work, as I have time and time again. A blessed Samhain to you all, Blessed Be. )O( 
"One act of courage can change the world." -Starhawk


http://www.starhawk.org/writings/fifth_sacred_SFvision.html

http://fifthsacredthing.com/home/about/

The Runes and reducing food waste

Hello all,
today I'm discussing the new direction that my spiritual path is heading in, and a piece in the news that has cheered me up. Happy Mabon to all, may you reap all the good you've sown this year :).

In the news
http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/sell-by-axed-to-stop-food-waste
I'm so pleased to see this. There have been rumblings for some time on this subject, but I'm very glad the government are beginning to really push the issue. They want to encourage firms to remove sell-by dates on food, have a recommended use-by date on labels and improve education about until when food is safe to eat. I used to work in a convenience store where we were obliged to throw out an entire trolley full of food, most of it still perfectly edible, much of it flown in from halfway round the world, to rot in plastic bags in the bins. If staff were able to use their eyes and common sense to judge when food is beginning to go a bit manky, I reckon the waste would be cut down by a good two-thirds. The article talks about customers being confused about when to chuck out food they've bought; personally I'll look it over and give it a sniff and if its still good, I'll eat it anyway regardless of a number stamped on the label. Freezing food that you'd otherwise chuck out is also a good idea. Some people are not able to compost and so much good food goes in the bin, so I'm all for improving education about use-by dates. But I say, all hail common sense! We can all reduce our food waste with a little thought and efficiency.


The Runes
Time and time again I've attempted to engage in the art of Tarot reading; I've read books, done online courses and browsed packs, but to no avail. A friend said to me, "no, you mustn't do it from books! Lay the cards out in front of you, use your intuition to connect with them." Okydoke, here is... a dude? with a tree? and a Sun? I was never able to connect with the cards, found the images obscure and the meanings often irrelevant to my life. So I began to research other forms of divination, and decided to take a look at the Futhark Runes. I whizzed through two books, one by Edred Thorsson and the other by Lisa Peschel and was instantly engrossed. What I love about the Runes is that they're more earthy, simpler and easier to use than Tarot and other confusing forms of divination. Also Tarot is of middle-eastern origin and the Runes of Norse origin - perhaps my Swedish heritage has played a part in drawing me to them.
I collected some smooth, round stones from a beach in Wales and set about painting a rune set with acrylic paints, meditated to the meanings of each rune with a set of cards I made, and learned how to use the various divination layouts. Everything, from the type of wood used, the colours used, the gods invoked, the time of day and the ritual must be carefully chosen, but this gives an enormous range of choice and as with many other magickal disciplines, there's always so much more to learn. Another thing I love about the runes is that they're good not only for divination, but for magickal purposes; I've learned how to make bindrunes (runes with similar meanings superimposed upon one another to make a design), runescripts on tines (runes with similar meanings laid out in a line on a strip), and talismans. The Norse Futhark alphabet can also be transliterated into English for writing purposes, magickal and mundane!

Studying the Runes has also taught me much of Norse mythology and of the lives of the ancient Scandinavian peoples, in which the runes played such a vital part. And the great thing is that the basic needs and concerns of the ancients were much the same as ours today, which I think is what makes this divination and magickal method so effective. Issues of finding a partner, protecting property and loved ones, accumulating wealth, healing the sick and achieving victory and success were as important to them as to us now. Use of the runes, even in these early stages of my study, have already helped me with issues in my life, more effectively than many other magickal techniques have. Perhaps my path will begin to veer towards Ásatrú or Odinism, and indeed I've been beginning to work with Odin and Freya much more; or perhaps it will go somewhere else as I discover a 'new' fantastic technique or path to incorporate into my craft. Such is the rich tapestry of being a Pagan! 
Blessed be all, have a good autumn equinox )0(

The nature of changing practice

Hi y'all again. Today there are two things I want to discuss, the way our practice changes over time and the themes of an upcoming Witchvox essay, The green life versus the silver life.

The nature of changing practice
This is something I've been meaning to blog about for some time, but I think now is a most appropriate time in my life to write about it. As I mentioned in January, I enrolled on a beginner's course of Witchcraft in my local Pagan shop. Up until that point I had studied alone with books following an eclectic Wiccan path, which satisfied me, but towards the end of last year I realised my practice was beginning to become static and stale. Being plonked in a class of beginners made me realise how far I had come from being in that position myself. They say 'when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.' I was more than ready and was very much enjoying picking up on aspects of the Craft that I hadn't studied in any depth, and mentoring others. The others in the class came from many walks of life and had entered into the Craft from many different angles, which in itself blasted a breath of fresh air into my practice, if not other areas of my life as well. At the shop, outside of the class, people came and went of so many paths; Wiccans, Hedgewitches, Druids, neo-Pagans and make-it-up-as-you-go-along Witches stopped by for a chat and a cup of tea. I found that just talking to these people and listening to them talk about their practice to each other made me subconciously soak up their ideas and beliefs. These encounters, along with the class, had my practice undergo some rapid shifts for a few months. But that's not to say that I would abandon my roots; there are certain invocations, rituals and altar pieces I simply won't change or part with and have used since day dot.
More recently, over this summer, the two encounters with Spanish witches have taught me how Reclaiming and El Camino Rojo are practised in Spain, themselves two diverse American paths but there with an Iberian twist. There are some who say you should shop and eat locally from your land, worship the gods native to your country and use the practices and rituals of your ancestors. For example, modern Pagans in Japan worshipping Cerridwen and Athena wouldn't be connecting to their land or their heritage (indeed I've heard reports of something like this happening.) Seeing the Spanish invoke Iberian deities and learning about the local customs was as much refreshing as it was enjoyable.
With my discovery of Starhawk a couple of years ago my practice has since been learning towards the Wiccan Reclaiming tradition. For ages I've been trying to get into learning to read Tarot cards, for the sake of a more well-rounded education, but I never managed to get them to grab my interest. But of late I've been very much drawn to Runes, a similar form of divination. But Tarot is rooted in Middle-Eastern practices, and Runes in Norse practices - perhaps my Swedish heritage is calling me towards use of the Runes. Maybe my practice will veer next towards Odinism or Asatru. Who knows? There are hundreds of diverse and exciting Pagan paths to explore, and many books and teachers on hand to help you along the way.
But a word of warning my friends. Choose your teacher wisely. I'd like to thank my teacher for all she gave me and all the knowledge and fun times we shared together, even if she'd sooner jump off a cliff than accept my thanks. If there is anything about witchcraft that she doesn't know then its probably not worth knowing. But what is boundless knowledge worth if you cannot practice what you preach? Some teachers are devoted to sharing love and knowledge of the Craft with those willing to learn. Others are in it for a quick buck. I unfortunately ended up with the latter. During my recent visit to Avebury I met a hedgewitch who asked me how I had recieved my education of the Craft. With a sharp intake of breath I explained that I had mostly taught myself, but that at one point I'd had a teacher, but to put it simply....well, shit hit the fan. Granted everyone won't get on with everyone else forever - some relationships and friendships grow apart, some blow apart. But this is the sad case with my teacher; had she imparted her hard-earned knowledge and experience with the love and compassion that she preached, rather than with a pretty mask used to collect money, she would have been a wonderful teacher. But in time all appearances and false pretences will fade away and peoples' true colours will be revealed. Once again, excercise caution in seeking out teaching. But by all means don't steer completely clear of those willing to teach; I know that there are some gems of knowledgeable people out there, out to make the world a better place.

Thought of the day
'The Green life versus the Silver life' will be the title of my next Witchvox essay, a subject I've been meaning to explore for a while now. The ol' witch in the woods had a couple of beeswax candles and a knowledge of herbs to use in her practice. The modern witch has the world a their fingertips at the click of a mouse button. I've always been a bit of a sci-fi geek, fascinated by modern technology, and most of the fiction I've written involves futuristic colonies in Space, and I've also always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic and disaster movies, in which the Earth freezes over or burns to a crisp or explodes, etc. I've always had a thrill for travel to far-flung exotic places, and like any teenager, wouldn't be without my laptop, phone or ipod. Cue the snag - does the slow-paced, Earth-reverence lifestyle of Paganism not present the exact opposite sort of mentality? Pagans live in the here and now, grounded in the present, the majority of us focused mainly on protecting the environment, and enjoy nothing more than a walk through sylvan parks, forests and by tinkling streams rather than in the perfectly geometric stone and metal cities of my imagination. Air travel is of-course a big no-no, being the largest producer of Co2 as forms of transport go. All the silver shiny things that make us stay-indoorsy robots and distract us for hours and hours on end from our natural surroundings, those things that make our lives easier and more enjoyable on the surface, but in the long term cause fatigue, depression and stress due to our over-busy lives and lack of communication with Earth's energies - how do we fit it into a modern Pagan lifestyle? The answer is compromise, to combine the two. We can't progress without embracing modern technology. Without the wonders of the Internet this message wouldn't be reaching you. The term 'Techno-Pagan' is becoming more and more widespread, to describe those who would use the Internet to network with other Pagans and bring together people and ideas. Beside all this we can still make time to be with nature, if we can only pause our hectic lifestyles for a brief time and take in the serenity of the Earth. The balance is imperative to our wellbeing, and if we can reach for the silvery stars while keeping rooted in the green Earth, we will make great tracks in our lives and in the lives of others indeed.