January 29th, 2012

Yikes. This week has been downright scary. It's a new semester, and my schedule is different. I don't have an elective, for one thing, so I'm way more stressed than usual. It's nice, therefore, to be able to just sit in my room for a while and unwind, listen to some music, and really ground. Let's face it, sooner or later everyone gets stressed. (In my case, sooner.) When that happens, we make bad choices, we can't think straight, and it's hard to concentrate. It's also hard to do magick, making it all the more difficult to solve the problem. However, if we only ground and center, we can clear our heads long enough to do something about it. I found this great spell online, which uses storms as a metaphor for life's difficulties. It's simple, and without long ritual attached, so one could do it in a circle with candles and crystals, or in the hall right before that job interview you've been dreading.

~~~~~~~~~~

Storms within
and storms without
storms above
and storms below,
in my center
only stillness
Its my will,
and it is so.

~~~~~~~~~~

January 24th, 2012

Ladies and gentlemen, it has happened - I reached the end of the 620 MB of Pagan music on my iPod. I was sitting in chemistry, minding my own business doing a worksheet when the final, quiet song ended, followed by the Phantom of the Opera Overture blaring in my eardrums. I nearly jumped out of my seat. In retrospect, it was quite amusing. Mr. Hain listened to the CD I gave him, and I guess he ended up enjoying it, saying it sounded rather "earthy", which, while perhaps not the adjective I would have chosen, seems to sum it up pretty nicely. All things considered, I suppose I don't have much to say today, but if you're reading this, please pause a moment to send some positive energy to the wife of Mr. Hernandez, who had a bad bout of sickness yesterday and went to the hospital.

January 22nd, 2012

Rather like my sudden realization a few weeks back that I had yet to post how I came to the Craft, it has just occurred to me that I have never shared why I go by the name "Hummingbird". The first thing that comes to mind is this: Raincloud, Hazelnut, and I were sitting around a table last spring, laughing and joking as friends often do together. We had determined that Hazelnut looks like a squirrel (and believe me, she does), when she looked at me and said "You're a hummingbird!". I had never thought much about it before then, but I suppose I do. After all, green is my favorite color, and the only hummingbird species that live around here are green. Wikianswers says that Pagans hold the birds in high esteem for their "tireless energy and anxiety", and I am nothing if not eternally busy, and therefore, eternally anxious and stressed over something. Further, the Native Americans revered the birds, seeing them as being representative of the natural cycles of balance, as well as of love and happiness. My earliest memories of them certainly evoke feelings of love - of curling up on my grandmother's lap watching them flit and sip from her nectar feeders. A similarly powerful memory comes to mind, from many summers ago, when Nick and I went out west to Montana, both to sight-see and to visit relatives. One day, we stopped at the home of my grandfather's sister. It was a relatively small place, made of dark wood and standing in the middle of a forest. Her garden was lush and well-cultivated, and a creek ran through her backyard, with a hammock hanging over it. Nick and I sat outside, near a nectar feeder hanging from a tree, when all of a sudden, a charm of hummingbirds flew down from their tiny nests and flocked to the feeder; at least a dozen of them. Nick stood slowly, and held out his hand. The tiny creatures hovered above it, fearless and confident. I should like to be as the hummingbird: knowing my abilities without becoming immodest, and feeling brave in such self-knowledge. I can only hope to be worthy of using their name.

Birds of a Feather...

I just had to share this. After returning home from set-building, my brother told me to come see a most peculiar sight outdoors. I looked out the window to find six mourning doves sitting in a clump on the fence. You can only see five in this picture, but nevertheless...

January 21st, 2012

The Celts divided the year into 13 months based off the lunar cycles. Each month then corresponded with a tree. Today marks the beginning of the Rowan Month. Rowan - of which common names include Witch Wood, Thor's Helper, and Rune Tree - is actually a member of the Rose family, growing up to 50 feet in height, with white flowers in May and red berries in winter. It thrives in poor (or overworked) soil where other species will not grow, and has been found across Europe near ancient settlements and stone circles. The word "Rowan" supposedly comes from Old Norse: "Raun", the Norse word for the tree. Another possible origin is from the Finnish Goddess Rauni, who came down to earth and took on the form of the Rowan tree.
Rowan has long been considered a magickal wood, being utilized by the Celts for astral travel, personal power, and success. Norse people used the wood as staves for protection, and a small branch with runes carved into it could protect its bearer from harm. Similarly, the Celts further believed in Rowan's protective qualities, and so wore necklaces made from the berries, and placed branches of the plant around livestock and in the home. In some countries, Rowan has been planted in graveyards to help the dead move on, and many old coffins are made of Rowan wood. Other legends tell of fairies who flock to the trees, and that to do one damage is to invoke the wrath of the Fey. In Ireland, the fairies were said to live in the Forest of Dooros, where they did nothing but eat the berries of the Rowan, brought from Fairyland.
Today, while magickal properties of the past are still applicable, some more recent uses of the wood connect it with the masculine divine and with the element of fire. It is likewise used for healing, courage, and fertility.
Unlike the plants I have talked about in the past, Rowan is non-poisonous. Although the berries contain a possible carcinogen, this is easily neutralized by cooking. They contain high levels of Vitamin C and are natural, mild laxatives. The berries are made into jams, pies, wine, and tea. The tea of the Rowan berry helps to solve problems with the urinary tract. The bark is also used medicinally to treat problems with the blood and stomach.

January 20th, 2012

Yikes, finals week. As far as I can tell so far, my magick/study combo has paid off, and of all the finals that have been graded thus far, I've gotten an A. I didn't do anything too fancy magickally, but I've been wearing yellow and doing affirmations for memory at night. Good luck to everyone still testing, and Goddess bless. In other news, my brother's Paperwhites began blooming Wednesday night, and by now the two largest stalks are in full flower.


Here they are Thursday night (you'll notice my Amaryllis has grown too).


A close up of the flowers. Aren't they gorgeous?! They're very fragrant. When I got home from school yesterday, I walked into my room and spent a full five minutes trying to figure out what this very floral scent was, before realizing it was the Paperwhites.
The flowers may be blooming indoors, but outside, it's as cold as ever. We're getting a snow storm now, and it's just beginning to pile up. While I'm very pleased that the weather has gotten itself back into its normal pattern, I'm quite happy enjoying the winter wonderland from indoors, thank you. No need to actually go out in the cold, is there? ;)

January 17th, 2012

Whew, talk about an intense weekend! I went to Hazelnut's place on Saturday to meet her new pet parakeet, Sugar.


I read some tarot cards for her about finals since they start tomorrow, and I'll be excited to see how accurate my interpretation comes out to be, since I don't read them too often. Sunday morning, her dad took us to a river where several flocks of ducks and geese were staying, and a family of eagles was nesting in the area.


Some geese in flight.


The river and birds thereupon*.


Seconds after I took this picture, the ducks began catapulting themselves into the river.


Hazelnut and I chilling in front of a rather treacherous, now-unused train bridge.

Then yesterday, since we had Monday off from school, I went skiing with other high-schoolers from my parent's church. Not, perhaps, my preferred company, but I had fun nevertheless. Since finals are starting tomorrow for Hazelnut and I, here are some things to magickally increase your test scores, after you study, of course.

• Rosemary is associated with memory and education, so empower the herb itself or essential oil before the test. In the case of the herb, keep it with you on or near your desk during the test. If using the oil, rub a few drops on the pulse point of each wrist and rub together until a slight tingling or warmth is experienced.
  
• Yellow is also associated with memory, so the night before testing, light a yellow candle while sitting next to any notes, textbooks, etc. pertaining to the subject you are to be tested on. You could even add the rosemary in by lightly dressing the candle with rosemary oil.
• If burning candles is not an option for you, wear some yellow the day of the test. This could be anything from a shirt to a hairclip, or even an armband or socks. Be creative. Creativity is, after all, the root of all thought.
  
• The element air is likewise associated with intellect and memory, so during or before the exam, call upon air to add some elemental backing to your mental prowess. Incense is a representation of air, so burning your favorite kind (or rosemary, if you were so inclined) could be another great meditation experience for the night before.
  
• If all else fails, and you're quietly (or not so quietly) panicking five minutes before the test begins, take a deep breath, relax, ground, and center. I can say from personal experience that the easiest way to bomb a test is to get worked up while taking it. Panic releases adrenaline, which makes it difficult for the brain to focus. So visualize all that negative worry draining away, and your concentration will improve immensely.
  

*Just for the record, as I was sitting here typing that sentence, the song "A River of Birds" started playing. o.O

January 14th, 2012

What an interesting two days it has been! Yesterday, while waiting for rehearsal for the musical to begin, I was listening to my iPod, after putting 600 MB of Pagan music on it the other night. As I was sitting, my choir teacher/musical-director walked up and asked what I was listening to. He knows that I'm Pagan, so I said "Pagan music," and handed him an ear bud. He listened for a few minutes, and gave me kind of an odd look before saying "I had no idea that even existed. You'll have to burn me a CD, as this is clearly a topic I haven't explored deeply enough." Then later, as he was telling the rest of the cast off for not attending set-building days like they're supposed to, he thanked me for going, saying "God bless you", and then correcting himself, saying instead "May the Goddess watch over you". I was rather flattered that he cared enough to be so nice about it, and I did end up burning a CD for him, giving it to him at set-build this morning. When I got home, I found that these crazy-awesome plants of mine have grown again. Here they are now:


Compare that to the picture I took on Tuesday, when they were barely two inches high. I love their enthusiasm, and they seem quite pleased with themselves. In other news, Mother Nature may be back on track now, as we had another sprinkling of snow this morning, to add to our four or five inches. Huzzah!

Snow Blessing

This seemed appropriate, given the weather today. Have a safe, blessed winter season, friends.

January 12th, 2012

I am quite excited today, for a number of reasons. First of all, I was able to burn myself a CD last night of over 6 hours of Pagan music, which I then transferred to my iPod. Since we did a lot of quiet in-class work today, I got to spend some time listening to it. Then, for the first time this winter since perhaps November, it snowed today! Not only that, but we have something like 4 inches. I can do nothing but thank Goddess for this fantastic blessing, as not only is it more than a little strange-feeling to have no snow in January, but the plants need all the water that the snow provides to nourish them throughout spring and early summer. I got a bunch of new things recorded in my BOS, and finally, I have all my homework done, leaving me free to enjoy the evening!

January 10th, 2012

I can't decide if it's simply that my room gets enough light and is at the right temperature, or if they just like the energy in here, but my Amaryllis and Nick's Paperwhites (which he's keeping in my room) have been growing like gangbusters! Both plants have positively doubled in size over the past week, and, though still small, are a lovely shade of green that makes me smile every time I look their way. Sometimes I swear the little guys grow noticeably just while I'm school!


Nick's Paperwhites.

And my Amaryllis! It's so nice to have living things in my room; I have a bunch of silk flowers, but this will be my first time having live plants. Since I shared a bit of etymology about the name and magickal usage of the Amaryllis the other day, today I will share some Paperwhite info. It's always good to know your plants, after all, particularly when they're residing in one's bedroom! The Paperwhite is the most popular kind of Narcissus flower, and is in the same family as the Daffodil and Jonquil (they are still separate species, however!). The name "Narcissus" comes of course from the Narcissus of Greek legend, who, after his death, was turned into a Daffodil by Apollo. The legend further says that Daffodils bloom in the afterlife. The Greek name for Daffodil is "Asphodelos", similar to the phrase "Asphodel Fields", where those who were neither good nor bad went after death. The Chinese believe that the blooming of any of the Narcissus, Daffodil, or Jonquil plants at New Year's ensures good luck throughout the next 12 months. These plants are used in magick as herbs of countermagick, protection, and purification. However, as with the Amaryllis, I highly suggest avoiding any type of ingestion of them, whether eaten or inhaled (don't burn them!) due to to toxins within the plant.

January 9th, 2012

Happy Esbat, everybody! I'm waiting until later to do my ritual, but am spending what free time I have today writing and listening to music. How better, after all, to celebrate the wonder of the Goddess and all creation then by creating something yourself? In other news, the director of the Speech team commandeered me to act in a competition in March, so I'll be a touch busier Mondays and Thursdays now, but all in the name of theatre. How do you like to celebrate Esbat? Do you have a favorite chant or activity you do to get you in the mood? Please, comment and share! :3

Amaryllis

My brother gave me an Amaryllis bulb for X-mas, and I'll be growing it over the coming months. The word "Amaryllis" comes from Greek mythology. Legend has it that Amaryllis, a nymph, was in love with Alteo, a shepherd who loved only flowers. So, every night for 30 days, Amaryllis stood outside his home and pierced her chest with a golden arrow. On the 30th day, Amaryllis died, and Alteo opened the door to find a beautiful crimson flower that had grown from her blood. Amaryllis' magickal uses are primarily for determination, innocence, pride, and beauty. However, a note: if you intend to use Amaryllis in any kind of a ritual, do not burn or ingest the plant, as it is poisonous!

January 8th, 2012

Today has been a day of tidying. It is tradition, of course, to intensely spring clean before Imbolc, but this was really more of a rudimentary fixing up of my bedroom. Over the last week, things had gotten strewn all over creation, and my Yule tree was still up. Much as I love my tree, Yule is well and passed, and 'tis time to think of the future. I took my tree down and got my reading chair back in place, before having to find homes for everything I acquired over the holiday season. I can say now that I'm very pleased with the result. If you can recall that whole Feng Shui business I wrote about a few months ago, then you'll know just how much moving some furniture around can change the feel of a room. I definitely feel much calmer, almost languid, and I can be pretty darn sure that I'll sleep well tonight! :) I'll leave you with a last thought: my brother and I each received some flowers to grow, and I found a sweet little garden blessing on the 'net just now. If you have or will have a garden, even if it's just a pot of herbs or flowers, give it a go! Plants need love too.

"Lovely yarrow is known as the wise woman's herb,
Elements four, gather round at the sound of my words.
Bless this garden with growth, health, and bounty, I pray,
Bringing wisdom, magic, and joy, day after day."

Self-Cleansing

Sometimes before you can even start thinking about cleansing the home, you have to cleanse yourself, and crystals can help. As far as I'm concerned, you can use just about any crystal or stone you want, but then, I'm no expert on gem magick. However, amethyst is a classic cleansing stone, as is clear/smoky quartz, and jet. Simply take the crystal of choice and hold it to the Third Eye, right between your eyebrows. Imagine all the negativity in your body flowing out through your Third Eye and going into the stone. Afterwards, hold your stone in a stream of running water to send that negativity out of the stone and back to the earth to be recycled into positive energy. If you aren't lucky enough to have a personal or nearby river, stream, etc., you could simply use the sink to cleanse your stone(s). Salt is another great personal cleanser, among other things. Use it in the bath, or dissolve in a cup of water. Use said water to anoint yourself while saying a personal blessing.

January 7th, 2012

Sometimes, life is good, and sometimes life sucks. That's just how it is. Life moves in cycles of happiness and sadness, but that doesn't mean that when the tough parts come along that you can't do anything about them. In honor of a dear friend and sister, here are some ideas for reducing negativity in the home.

• Give the whole place (or your room, if the whole house isn't feasible) a good cleaning. Just getting all that junk off the floor can immediately lift the spirits of everyone in the house, as general dirty and messiness attracts negative energy like flies to honey.
  
• If you're allowed, take any of pine, cedar, or juniper and burn them, getting the smoke to enter every room. If you're like me, and can't burn things, mix salt and water, and use some of the above plant(s) to sprinkle the salt water.
• Get one of those ice trays, or even a few cups or small bowls if you don't have the trays, fill it/them with water, and place in the freezer. Visualize all the negativity being frozen like the water. Once frozen, collect the ice and dispose of it off your property (don't worry: putting the ice on your neighbor's lawn won't transfer the negative energy to them).
  
• Make a mini pouch and fill it with cleansing herbs such as cloves. Then waft it throughout the house. When I used this method, I used fabric with a snowflake on it to further "freeze" the negativity, but one could also use white, as it is commonly associated with purification.
• Go classic: waft a sage smudge stick through the house.
• Say the following: "Water protects the embryo, ancestor love of long ago. Tides and rivers dance and flow, enchant this place, let magic grow. Revive! Bring change! I make it so." Optional: Carve the zodiac symbol of Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio on a candle, and put in in a dish with an inch or so of water in it. Light, and say the incantation.
• To get rid of "bad vibes" after being in or near an argument, light a stick of incense and take a shower. Afterwards, pass the incense around you three times. Then, as soon as possible, get all the clothes you were wearing at the time washed to further get rid of the negativity.
  
• If you are in a situation where you feel you may need protection, find a smooth dark-colored stone. Sit outside, and sprinkle a small salt circle around where you are sitting. Hold the stone and envision rings of protection circle the stone like the planet of protection, Saturn. Then, when you need protection, hold the stone, and, if it helps, re-visualize.
  
  

January 6th, 2012

It never ceases to amaze me how much school fills up my schedule. I practically live in that building. This week we had Monday off for New Year's, but Tuesday and Wednesday were stressful, long, and generally upsetting. Then, Wednesday night, the reason for this occurred to me. Over winder break, I got a bit lazy, as one often does, and forgot to do my devotion and meditations. Remember how I mentioned them a while back? Here, have a link. Anyway, that night, I got back into my usual routine, and I tell you, the results were spectacular. Today and yesterday were actually fun, and I got just about all my stressful work accomplished. My sleeping quality also improved (I didn't wake up four hours before my alarm went off, for example), and my dreams, which I hadn't had in a while, returned. If you don't meditate or do devotions, I suggest you give it a whirl for a week or two, and see what you think. You may be shocked by the results.

January 2nd, 2012

Hazelnut came to visit last night, much to my great delight, and was able to stay over, so we were up quite late jamming to music and playing Wii, among other things. We also escaped from my brothers for a time, to do some more Pagan activities.


Aunt C gave me this robe, but because it doesn't fit me well, I never wore it. However, it fits Hazelnut beautifully, so I gave it to her.


Aunt C also gave me this one, which I do wear for Sabbats, although I'm often too lazy to put it on for Esbat.


This morning we made corn dollies for Imbolc. We used some raffia-type material however, not actual corn husks. I got a huge bag of the stuff for free from school. They were going to get rid of it, as it's a fire hazard, so I took it for them.


My Goddess dolly. Hazelnut suggested that I braid her hair, so I did, and I love how it came out.


And my God dolly. His arms came out a bit thick for his body, but I'm pleased with it nonetheless.

Holidays and Hikes

Mom downloaded the pictures she took finally, so here are some highlights of the last week of 2011.


Just because I'm Pagan doesn't mean that I don't participate in my family's traditions, and presents on X-mas morning are no exception. I mean, hey, I can mentally call them belated Yule gifts, right? :D


The Ada Hayden park where my family and I went on a walk. See the geese sitting out on the ice?


Here we all (or at least, all the hikers) are! From the left: Dad, Uncle Nathan, Leah, Ben (the short one in front), Grandpa Rick (the taller one in back), Nick, myself, and Aunt C. Mom took the picture.


A mini snowball fight. It would have been larger, but as you can see, we've had next-to-no snow.

Snow Goddess

Found this picture while looking for a New Year's one. Loved it too much to pass up!

January 1st, 2012

Happy New Year, everyone! Or, in Japanese: Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! I was up late last night at a New Year's party (silly me, I was thinking today was New Year's Eve!), and I didn't sleep too well, so I'm quite tired today, but I'm warm in my pyjamas, and it's raining outside, so I'm pretty comfortable. Today being the first of the month, and indeed, the first of the year, I should like to share a most intriguing piece of folklore. It is said that if on the first of the month you say "Rabbit" three times, you will have luck in the rest of the month. So, all together now! 1... 2... 3...

Rabbit, rabbit rabbit!

Happy New Year, everyone, and may the Goddess bless you in the days to come.

*Picture from Google. Edited slightly to read "2012", rather than "2010".