It’s just like that! The time flies when there is birth and death, joyfulness and mourning. Days bleed together, and the seasons change.
For some the “Wheel” turns slowly or hauntingly, for others it whizzes by with fractions of seconds pile on to one another. This year, I have experienced both, and all.
Already we are at Mabon, the time of year for reflecting, preparing, gathering, and for letting go.
For decades, I’ve been on a spiritual journey, each year edging closer to my true self—until I’m confronted. This year, soaring with self-esteem and confidence, I faced a setback. My family pointed out that my sense of humor isn’t always as well-received as I believe, and my frequent references to “Murphy’s Law” serve more as a defense against pain, anger, or shame. Moreover, I often speak on their behalf without their consent, which, understandably, they do not appreciate.
Letting it all GO at Stafford Lake, Mabon 2024
Thus, I made my way to the lake, a beautiful green leaf clasped in my hand. I released the leaf, the very leaf burdened with all my fears of pain, rage, or shame, allowing it to drift onto the calm lake surface. I pledged to let go of my worries over the uncontrollable. I resolved to remain quiet and to let the “ball drop” when necessary. It’s not my duty to keep it aloft. I can release it.
So, dear fellows, as you notice the darkening evenings, the need for a sweater in the morning, and the smell of apples and cinnamon in the air, you know that “Fall” is here, and you may release all that no longer serves you. For the better of you.
The freezing cold is upon us, and the temperatures barely wane. Cold air, cold water, cold earth. But underneath the crust is the business of spring!
Imbolc marks the first Holy Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year. Though it is cold and wet, frosty and icy, we might feel the stir of early spring waking us. We are ready to take part in the excitement and flurry that will be delightful! The awakening of Mother Earth and all her creatures is upon us.
The threat of danger, war, recession, the cost of living, healthcare, all the things are too much. Our hearts fall short thinking of those who suffer and cannot rise to express happiness in the world.
But Priestesses hold the sacred knowledge that all is with purpose, and sometimes the purpose is to find compassion and healing, or sometimes only to spread joy, even if it is only in our backyard.
While our Mother’s frozen blankets fall, let us warm one another with smiles and patience. Kindness kindles fires, and brief moments of care ignite sparks. If there was ever a time to be a morning person, it is now. Let’s embrace the dawning of this year with hope and a positive attitude. The smallest efforts open the way for conversation and compassion.
On these gray mornings, I invite you to find the sun, even the brightest silvery disc where it hides behind the storm; we know it’s there. Seek the light and share it wherever you may go.
As Goddess Brigid walks through the threshold to usher in the spring, may we follow her with lovingkindness, healing, and truth.
Blessed Be for a Peaceful and Optimistic journey around the Wheel of the Year for 2024. So Mote it Be, and So it Is!
Our tradition began when the kids were in school. We, as working moms, scheduled time off to watch the kids in the Halloween Parade, help out in the classrooms for Halloween Parties, and, of course, celebrate the Witches’ New Year by casting our wishes to the universe for a charmed life.
Twenty years or so later, we still gather around our cauldron of coffee and pull out the Tarot Cards. We take turns cleansing and drawing cards for our spread, then deciphering the meanings we find positive aspects in each spread.
Sending Wishes to our Beloved Dead
We light a fire in the firepit, sprinkle a bit of Holy Water, or smudge the area with White Sage. We cast away all the lookie-loo spirits that try to sneak in, and we ask for our ancestors to join us. We invoke their memories on the Holy Day of Samhain, the time of visits from our beloved dead. We tell stories about how our loved ones above made us laugh, or recall valuable lessons we learned from them. We also look for and share times when we had signs from them.
It all sounds a bit woo-woo, but it is important to take the time to be with your friends and share these intimate passages of life. Death is a difficult subject for most, but knowing that death doesn’t mean being gone helps us find joy instead of sorrow.
HP Tina’s Wheel of the Year Spread for Samhain 2023-4
We brew a second or third pot of coffee, for this Samhain rally lasted ALL DAY, not our typical 2 hours or so. It was a long time coming that we had to gather. We missed each other a lot this past year. Between busy lives and family changes, work and relationships, vacations, and exhaustion, it was challenging to meet this past year. But we made up for it.
I am very grateful for my friends and our special TBC time. . . oh, what is TBC? Well, it’s Three Bitches Camping. That’s us, and it forever will be. Even one day, when we become the beloved dead.
This season holds mystery and thrill, as the sun fades and the fog clings to the earth. The darkness hides creatures and haunted beings. The empty trees have died for a bit, but plan to return in the spring. The thought of witches casting spells and making potions right out in the open after hiding away for the eleven other months of the year intrigues me.
The creaking bones of the
dead and the soft sound of earth moving as the zombies unearth themselves to
rise to life. . .
And Dracula!
I had the most fear of Dracula when I was a kid. I used to slam my hand against the light switch and run up the stairs as fast as my legs could get me to the top. In my mind, I’d hear the basement door below flying open, the sound of thunder and pouring rain, and then, in the flash of lightning, he would be standing on the threshold. Dracula in his black cape with red lining and his white shirt. He’d wear his family medallion, and the twinkle of his fang would scare the hell out of me. I could imagine his black polished shoes as he stood there in the rainiest weather I could dream of, and he waited patiently for me to invite him in.
All of that happened in a split second while I ran to the top of the stairs and opened the door to the main floor of the house. On the other side of the door was a warm, cheery home where no one could get to me. Our house was built by my dad, so I felt as if the fortress could never be invaded and old Count Dracula could stand in the rain forever for all I cared.
At least when I closed the door at the top of the stairs.
When I studied to become a priestess, I learned that there is so much more about Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Samhain than Hollywood Horror. As a child, this holiday was magical and spooky, always spine-tingling.
As an adult and one who studies Ancient Goddess Culture along with the Celtic/Pagan Wheel of the Year, I understand the purpose of this Holy Day and its rites.
The Celts called this time of year SAMHAIN, which translates to Summer’s End. This time of year, we notice the earth gently letting go, the sun fades, the leaves fall, and the dreamtime comes. Summer will return at BELTANE when the Fertile Goddess makes her debut and all the earth re-awakens.
Another insight from the Celts is that Samhain brings in the FEMININE half of the Wheel of the Year. From these dark nights just after the Autumnal Equinox, earth and her inhabitants crave the dreamtime. Intuition, as well as, communication through the veil and divination, grow stronger in the darkness. The summer’s work, the full days of reaping and sowing, are behind us (the MASCULINE time of logic and brawn), and we are ready to rest.
In the dark, we can choose to hide under the covers or face our fears. The shorter daylight hours give us plenty of time to contemplate our fears and give us hope to tackle them. The feminine side of the year brings dreams and vision, signs, and clarity when we open up to receive.
“Receiving” is hard sometimes because we are busy with our everyday lives, our hustle, our grind, and taking out a mortgage to pay for the groceries these days. . . but taking a few moments to honor the dark as it arrives and embracing the opportunity to learn from our past is a terrific way to set new goals for the new year. And this time, they may come to fruition!
So, as I once feared old Count Dracula, I slapped the light switch and ran as if my life depended on it, grown-up me is different. Facing reality and its fear (the unknown) is less scary. I am home-free when I figure out what is happening or what’s needed. It’s how I release the dread.
I wish all of you a cozy and cheery “top of the stairs” if you need to run from the dark or the creepy guy standing on life’s threshold. Don’t hide under the covers, you’ve got this!
Blessed Be Samhain, Summers End, and pleasant visits from your beloved dead!
High Priestess, Brig xo
Note: The first part of the blog was written in my Jump Start Writing prompt class with Marlene Cullen. Click the link in the blog to learn more. . . I am glad I did!
Ahhh, 7 planets are in retrograde and the moon is BLUE!
The goal is to return to what was but to ask for improved conditions. For example, if you were making good money by working hard, but the income stopped, then your abundance is coming back. . . . BUT, you can ask for the income to reach you more easily. Or you might have been building a business, career, or marriage, and then all went on hold. Now your energy is gathering to ignite the flame, so ask for synchronicity to whip your dreams into shape.
Once in a Blue Moon!
You can say this invocation to draw the power of the Blue Moon and the energy of the planets. If you do this after the Blue Moon, don’t worry, you can still invoke the planets. They are happy to hear from you.
Mercury, I invoke you to bring back communication energies in a mindful way, with presence and intention.
Venus, I invoke you to bring back self-love and beauty energies in a mindful way, with presence and intention.
Pluto, I invoke you to bring back personal power energies in a mindful way, with presence and intention.
Saturn, I invoke you to bring back inner healing and self-care energies in a mindful way, with presence and intention.
Neptune, I invoke you to bring back intuition, heightened spiritual connections, and mindfulness energies in a mindful way, with presence and intention.
Uranus, I invoke you to bring back the ability to embrace change and transformation energies in a mindful way, with presence and intention.
Jupiter, I invoke you to bring back self-worth and the ability to align with goals and energies in a mindful way, with presence and intention.
Blue Moon, shining bright, send my invocations along your beams of light. Bring forward all that is good and pure this sacred night. And in the morning once this is done, I will know good fortune has begun!
As we will, so mote it, and as She blesses it, it is so!
Blue Moon Water Jar 8/31/23
PS. . . Always remember to leave a little jar of water or a bit of silver to be blessed and energized from the moon. You can carry her essence with you all month long. . . and Blue Moon water is great for cleansing, releasing, healing, and all sorts of posive “come to me” magic.
Spring is a time to jump up and fly! To bounce outside and wander the earth, to look for waterfalls and rainbows. The sun beckons us to join him in the golden ray-filled days, and we stretch our arms above our heads and agree. . . it is time to move!
Yet, sometimes it is important to stop and look at the beauty around us. We may not be able to be where we want to be or do the things we want to do because of work or hectic/conflicting schedules. And sometimes it’s poor weather, the irony, right? Or in my case this year a broken kneecap.
Of all the things that happen in the spring, the lighter evenings, the blooming flowers, the enticing foil-covered chocolate eggs, and the merriment of making summer plans, I think what hit me hardest is missing the wild iris blooms
An image from my sweet niece, Ashley
I hadn’t even thought of them, honestly. It has been one day rolled into another with recovery–oh there’s lots of love and attention to keeping me comfortable and alive, but for a moment I forgot about the great wilderness outside. I used to wait for spring to walk and find the wildflowers–especially the blue and yellow iris….But then I got the text with the image above, and I remembered.
For me, the image of the wild iris confirms of rebirth in the spring. With its delicate colors and fragile bloom, it only pops out for a short-lived time. And this year I will miss wandering along the wild trails, witnessing their arrival. But I keep in mind that next year I will find them, growing in the patches of dark earth, under a canopy of trees. I will walk and breathe in the good, cool air, and I will be reborn.
Until then, I will enjoy the photo from my niece and remember past visits to the great outside, and how this time next year, the wild iris will wait for me. Blessed Be, and So it Is!
Then this came from Prompt Writing… Who knew? xo
I took some time along this spiritual journey to discover my authentic self. –She was buried in there. There forest-loving, dirt-kissing, tree-hugging priestess that spring from the earth, a facet of the sacred feminine, the holy woman that came to appreciate all life, in all forms, and to love each one for themselves. A teacher, a reverend, a storyteller, a mamma, and a grandmamma with a big round lap, and soft breasts. A weaver of families, the truth keeper and the auntie with ears that listen, and the creator of a place for all at my table.
It took a long time, many days of soul-searching and listening. So many afternoons crying to sappy songs on the radio. Many hours of meditation and ritual, birthing new ideas and casting away old skin. Not quite the phoenix rising, but a wild iris bursting through the black dirt of the forest. . . for all to see –a goddess in regal royal purple, my shining aura, my loving heart filled with grace.
Imbolc arrives as a soft whisper, a gentle breeze that rustles through empty branches,
or it storms in, letting you know it is time to wake!
Before the Wheel turns again, remember who you were last year. This new
turn takes us on a fresh journey, one of promise and hope, and wrapped in love.
You are once again a Maiden, learning the ways of your body and your mind.
Who are you? How are you different from the woman left in the dreamtime? What are
your ambitions and what are your desires?
What will you be called to do? Have your dreamtime dreams hinted to you?
How about the songs playing in your head, what do they say? How is your energy?
There is a time of stillness and one of
action. Which has lured you into place
thus far?
As the Maiden you will join Mother Earth
on her adventure, her awakening. Will
you notice the small changes and the
outcomes to be? Where are you going to
stand when the challenge arises?
The Maidens I know will take what
comes standing up, chin thrust, and
ready for action, or inaction, if needed.
Embracing the courage of Brigid,
knowing you’re protected, and knowing
Goddesses walk with you.
At Imbolc, be still one more second, then
let the Wheel turn, let it bring you with it into the next realm—one of light and love,
peace, and humanity.
Be ready, wake up, set your feet on the floor, and begin this year’s adventure
into the now! Let the past slip away, grasp the moment, to be present in all you do.
Be mindful. Be determined. Be.
My blessings to you at this precious time, the beginning of the Holy Sabbats. I bless
you as you walk your Sacred, beautiful, delicious path.
In honor of Brigid, light a candle, take a walk out in nature, or sing.
Yule is quickly approaching and this means that the Wheel of the Year spun by! It is always amazing how quickly the hear seems to fly once the end is near.
I notice this with each year that I get to take another turn around the sun the time moves swiftly and my hair is caught in the breeze of it all. Tears stream from the cold air and I hold my breath as if preparing to take another dive. In a few weeks, it will all begin again.
The organizing, the clearing out, and preparing to plant that new seedling– then the fertilizing, the watering, the excitement when it begins to break through. Oh, what a wonderful time of year, for this is when I dwell in gratitude and dare to glimpse into the future. The stirring in my belly validates excitement for possibility.
This year I have lost people I love, and I have come to admire the family and friends who carry on, carry their loss, but continue to live. Having faith and trusting that all will be well. . . all is well. . . for one day we all will return to where we came from. But this in between, this place and time called life– the spiraling up and down, sometimes sideways! but always moving forward and inviting us to take the plunge, to live our fullest, most happy life, this is what fills my heart with joy and my head with hope.
The merriest of joys on the shortest night of the year, for the daybreak, brings us on a new turn of the wheel, and a new journey.
In numerology 2023 gives us the number seven (2+0+2+3=7) and that means it’s time to put our best skills, spiritual work, and our gifts to work. I love to read Joanne’s angel numbers. . . here is the link below.
Merriest of blessings at this sacred time of year. May you rise with the sun and sing with cheer for a happy and healthy brand-new year! Blessed Be! xo
We gathered to celebrate Samhain, and as I read the damning and wicked words from the Witches’ Hammer, the Malleus Maleficarum, we discovered what those words could really mean.
It’s a tradition to burn pages of the Malleus Maleficarum at Samhain
First, you must know that the Malleus Maleficarum was the book used to take down wise healers during the 500-year Inquisition by accusing them of using witchcraft. Hooey. Those accused were usually smart, creative, “different”, or in some way a threat to a common or jealous person. And so, these people were arrested and awaited trial. But, did you know that it was against Christianity to spill blood, so if the accused were found guilty, they would be burned, drowned, hung, pressed, or tortured to death. . . so long as no blood was spilt.
Blessed Be wth Witches!
Now, here is a sample of what we’d read in the Witches Hammer: “Women also have weak memories and it is a natural vice in them not to be disciplined, but to follow their own impulses without any sense of what is due.” And to that, our dear apprentice pointed out, is the way women should be. We chose to interpret this accusation of weak memory and following impulses as a sign of one who can forgive and move on, move forward in life.
So at Samhain, it is our responsibility to honor those who lost their lives, and those who were healers and seers who survived. For we truly are the daughters of the witches they could not burn. May you embrace your ancestors and live with the knowledge they share deep within you bones, for you, dear sister, are sacred.
I walk among the trees and notice the changing, falling, and decaying leaves. Dark brown acorns, roasted from these long, hot dog days, the snap of dry, brittle twigs, and the still and murky water in the creek near my home, confirm the Earth has tilted toward winter.
She pivots, about to dip with a moment of realization of Her increased knowledge and future success. In the next moment, She mimics a dog who shakes water from its fur after a lovely swim, and She breaks free from the past year’s failed efforts and licks her wounds.
And then Earth, our home, will nap, absorbing all that is good and strong and bountiful. Sweet dreams of good times to come, hope hangs from a moonbeam, until that solitary moment when the pregnant pause of Winter Solstice arrives. Then she will wake, hoping for humanity to prevail. To revive her. This is also my hope, my dream.
So, at this Witch’s New Year, I make a stand and I say a vow. I will be more present and I will listen. I will absorb the quiet and know that in the silent stillness I will hear Her voice. She will guide me and I will follow. She of a thousand Summer’s Ends and New Year Beginnings, She is where hope abounds and love cascades toward every beating heart, every unfurling leaf, and every stone left unturned.
To sit in Her loud silence, Her void fills me, I hold the whole world in my hands, to cherish it, to adore it, and to bless all with sincere compassion.
