July 15th, 2016

Ammolite/Opalized Ammonite

Physical Characteristics: Opalized Ammonites, known as Ammolites, are fossils wherein the animal's shell has been replaced by Aragonite, along with impurities like Calcite and Pyrite. This gives them a characteristic iridescence, usually in shades of red and green.

In Nature: Ammanoid cephalopods first appeared in the Devonian period, over 400 million years ago, going extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period. They are classified by the gas chambers in their spiral shells. After their deaths, the ammanoids fossilized into Ammonites, some of which became Ammolites.

Chemical Composition: CaCO3 with impurities

Mohs Scale Hardness: 3.5 - 5 (low to middle)

Can be Found: Most are found on the eastern slopes of the North American Rocky Mountains.

Healing Properties*: Ammolite is considered psychologically beneficial, strengthening one's will to live and offering energy and stamina. It has also been employed to ease childbirth, and to stabilize blood pressure.

Magickal Properties: Ammolite has been prized around the world as a symbol of many deities, especially those with curved horns. Pliny the Elder called them hammonis cornu, "the horns of Ammon", from the Egyptian god Amun, a ram-headed god. In one legend from the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) Nation, the Ammolite, with its form like a bison, first taught a young woman how to call the bison to be hunted. In Ethiopia, the stone was said to grant deep meditative states and prophetic dreams; today, it remains a common practice to use the spiral shape of the stone to draw one down a coiled astral path on spiritual journeys of all types, including communion with deity and past-life regression.

Ammolites and Ammonites may also be the fabled "dragonstones" or "draconites" described in some texts as protecting against poison, venomous animals, or one's enemies. In terms of sympathetic magick, the Ammolite was once home to a living creature. Therefore, it can be used in magick relating to the home, including protection, selling a house, and moving. 

The stones are protective and radiate Earth energies. As such, Ammolite is a source of grounding and of survival. Its horn shape hearkens back to the cornucopia, and so it is likewise a stone of prosperity. Ammolite can carry one into the subconscious as well as the astral - use it to transform the emotions, especially as they apply to repression, trauma, and problematic familial patterns.

Chakra Association: Particularly the First (Root) chakra, although it works with them all

Element: Akasha

Energy: Receptive

Planetary Association: Jupiter

*Magickal healing should never take the place of seeing a doctor and following any recommended prescriptions, actions, or other advice. Magick works best in tandem with physical efforts, anyway, so don't skimp on those check-ups!

The Sun Goddess

Today I finally finished reading The Sun Goddess, a book I started at the beginning of the semester. I would just like to say straight off the bat that this was an excellent book, and I would highly recommend it.

I came across the text after watching The Pagan Scholar on YouTube. The fellow who runs the channel, Travis, is an academic who reads and reviews scholarly works on contemporary Paganism. He had reviewed a title called Eclipse of the Sun, a book on sun goddesses, and I was really interested in reading it. However, when I went to order some books with a giftcard, I couldn't remember the title, nor could I find the video he talked about it in (I now know it was "Ouch, My Paradigm"). I ended up looking at other books on sun goddesses instead, and decided that this one looked promising. I ordered it, and am nothing less than pleased with it as a scholarly examination of the sun goddess narrative.

Title: The Sun Goddess: Myth, Legend and History

Author: Sheena McGrath

© 1997

Sheena McGrath is a practicing Pagan now living in California. She has been involved in groups in England and Canada, and has her degree in medieval studies.

McGrath's book opens with a proposition: that modern Pagans (and non-Pagan scholars, for that matter) who automatically associate the goddess with the moon and the god with the sun are looking at mythology too one-dimensionally. She proposes instead that the majority of pre-Christian Indo-European religions worshiped a sun goddess, with a corresponding moon god. She then goes on to prove this thesis with evidence from a plethora of Indo-European cultures, citing language, migration patterns, iconography, and surviving verses and folklore; she makes a compelling argument suggesting that, historically, the Greeks and Romans were really the odd ones out in terms of assigning gender to the luminaries. 

McGrath begins by introducing the reader to the Indo-Europeans, describing how and where they lived, how language patterns (and in particular, gendered language regarding the sun and moon) changed, and why she chose to compare their mythologies. Namely, Indo-Europeans prior to Christianization had a mythological cycle which was identifiably similar across political, cultural, and ethnic boundaries.

She then launches immediately into describing known sun goddesses from across Western Europe, talking about what we know of their worship, the symbols they used, and what remains of their stories. McGrath starts with Sól in Germany, then moves to Sunna in England, and continues with Freya in Scandinavia, St. Lucia in Sweden, and Œstre of the Saxons.

Next, she looks at Eastern Europe, beginning with the Baltic Saule. She talks at length here about the myth cycle, comparing it to trends in other regions, and in particular examining the frequent pattern of a moon god who seduces the sun goddess' daughter, the sun maiden, as well as twin sons of the sky god who are to be the sun maiden's husband(s). McGrath examines some known sun maidens, and includes in her list Auszrine. She also describes the horse and the swans as being significant examples of sun goddess imagery.

The following section traces sun goddesses in Slavic mythology, looking at Solntse, who between Her and Her sun maiden daughter also fulfill a role in the cult of the dead. McGrath further describes Slavic goddesses of the solstices, a mysterious solar goddess frequently depicted on traditional wedding embroidery, and how even in the Catholic church, the Virgin Mary has come to have solar aspects in Russia.

Then McGrath moves to the Celts, pointing out Grian and Graínne, as well as goddesses of hot springs like Sul, and fire goddesses like Brigit. The Celts also worshiped a series of horse goddesses, and McGrath reiterates her position that equine goddesses usually have a solar aspect. These include Áine and Macha. 

She also covers Arinitti and Nikkal of the Hittites, Arevhat of the Armenians, and Mtsekale of the Georgians.

While McGrath does acknowledge that the Greeks do not generally support her proposal (and indeed, notes that part of the reason for the dominance of the moon goddess, sun god narrative is a fierce historical obsession with neo-classicism), she does point out that it's not all so cut-and-dried as Helios or Apollo as the sun god with Selene or Artemis as the lunar goddess. McGrath brings up references to a female Helia, as well as the the strong solar imagery associated with Pasïphae (who mated with the very lunar bull in the story of the labyrinth). Other Greek women associated with the sun include Circe, Medea, the Hesperides, Eos, and even Helen of Troy.

Then the text moves on to India, where the sun god, Surya, has an aspect, Savitar, which is sometimes addressed as female. There is also his horse goddess wife, and a daughter, Suryaa, a sun maiden who marries twins, as in other Indo-European mythologies. Then there is Tantra, a fire goddess, and Ushas, goddess of dawn.

The next few chapters restate much of what has been said already, but categorizes information differently so that if one were looking for a specific piece of information, it would be easier to locate. One chapter discusses the relationship between solar goddesses and mazes, while others discuss the moon, sky, and thunder gods.

The final sections of the book switch from scholarly research to application, a pleasant surprise for me, as I had not expected this book to contain any information on ritual. McGrath provides a very simple ritual structure, and then offers several guided meditations and rituals by which to honor various sun goddesses and moon gods. 

Whew. If that seemed like a long summary, it's because it was. This is not an especially thick book (177 pages, not counting appendices or the bibliography), but it is dense. There is a ton of information here to read through, all of it very completely researched. If I had one criticism of the book, it would be that the organization of chapters felt, at times, a little arbitrary, but that is a small, small complaint. The book is fully cited from other reputable researchers (including references to Eclipse of the Sun, which makes me chuckle), and I learned an incredible amount about goddesses I had never even heard of before. 

Not only that, but this issue of assigning gender to the sun and moon (which in and of itself I feel is a fairly unnecessary practice, but that's a topic for another time) is an important one, because when we as a community get into this practice of automatically pairing the moon with women and the sun with men, we start leaving the door open for stereotyping and misogyny. 

Why? Because it's never really just that we pair women and the moon, is it? We pair women with all of the other metaphysical associations we have with the moon, namely passivity and receptivity. Meanwhile, men get paired exclusively with the active, sending energy of the sun. This type of binary thinking isn't beneficial to anyone of any gender, because no person exhibits one sole type of behavior all the time, and to suggest otherwise is ultimately limiting. 

Therefore, for that and other reasons, I feel that books like this are really critical for breaking the paradigm in contemporary Paganism, and coming to realize that mythology is complex, and that no one single narrative will ever fit every culture, nor should it, and nor should we try to make up or twist facts to suit a limited world view. 

9.5/10, absolutely read through this if you have the chance.

O hí Lughnasadh

I haven't done an actual Lughnasadh ritual in at least four years because I'm always spending the weekend at Fairy Fest. This year, however, with Destiny coming over, we're planning to do something in the evening. As such, I figured I ought to get my altar set up ahead of time.

I rather like this design. I might edit it a little still before next week, but I think I've got a nice, solid foundation.

On the left, I have my chalice, gourds, (plastic) grapes, a cup and saucer for water, salt, and a pair of dried corn cobs.  I also have a "corn dolly" goddess figure (actually made out of taffeta) which I put together several years ago. 

In the center, I've my elemental candles all sitting around the direction plate I got at the auction last month. In the center is the tea light from Rebekka, as well as a tiny incense holder and my new Selenite wands. 

Over on the right side of the altar, there's a god figure to match the goddess one, as well as my wand, athame, and a feather. There are more gourds and grapes, and I filled my cauldron with some festive potpourri I found. A seasonal fairy hangs in the back, and up front sit pieces of Orange Calcite, Citrine, and a crystal which I've finally identified as Aragonite. 

All of this is sitting on an orange tablecloth with a smaller green swatch in the center. The orange is one which I've generally reserved for Samhain in the past, but I decided that I might as well use it since I likely won't even be here for Samhain, and I wanted some more color. The green is actually a piece I got in Japan during a high school calligraphy class. Hidden under my elemental items is the Japanese kanji for "festival"; it's really just as well that it's hidden, because I didn't do the neatest job of writing it. C'est la vie.

Still not entirely sure what our ritual is going to consist of - I'll continue researching that this evening - but I'm excited!

June 16th, 2015

And we're off! My family and I are on our way to the Boundary Waters, where we will be camping for a week. We've only been on the road for three hours, and have many more before we arrive, so I have plenty of time to get some reading done. I've started off the day by finishing my book of Celtic mythology.

Title: The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends
Author: Peter Berresford Ellis
©1999

I've spent around the last week reading this anthology, and have really enjoyed it. Ellis has a personal connection to the stories he relates, and he succeeds in capturing the original Pagan spirit of these tales better than in many interpretations.

The myths come from throughout the British Isles, with legends from:

• Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Scotland
• Wales
• Cornwall
• Brittany

The stories cover The Shining Ones, the gods of the Celts, and tells how they were eventually usurped and relegated to the role of the sidhe (shee), the fairy folk. They tell likewise of many heroes and quests, of ghosts and enchantments, of mermaids and sea-maids, and of castles and ancient forests.

I had never had the opportunity to read any of these stories previously. Some of them I had seen summarized, or heard referenced in songs, but it was great to finally be able to see the originals. I feel like it fleshed out a big gap in my understanding of western mythology, and would definitely recommend it.  

I'm going to try to not use up more of our data plan, so I will leave it at that, but have a great week everyone, and I'll see you on the other side.

March 5th, 2015

Okay, so, it took me a couple of days, but I did finally finish my bigger painting to put on my altar. It's about 12"x12", I think.

The symbolism probably speaks for itself, but in general I was going for elemental colors surrounding the God and Goddess.

Take Two

Well, I did it. I went back to the mall. I'm not buying anything else for a while, because I probably spent more than I should have, but it was worth it.

These little guys were $1.50 and also part of the buy-one-get-one-free deal. I'm not sure what actual purpose they're supposed to serve, but to me they look like a pair of antlers, and I plan to use them for a subtle Horned God representation on my altar. Also, since they have a little dish at the base, I have a place now to set offerings and the like.
I also bought the Generator Crystal set I wanted!

For the record, it's all Clear Quartz and just looks dark because I set it on top of its box. It's got a central pyramid, and each single-terminated Quartz projecting off is joined to the central piece with a small band of metal. I saw it yesterday and was drawn to it immediately. When I didn't take it home, it just kept wearing on my mind. Clearly, the crystal liked me and wasn't keen on letting me go.

And then there was this. I couldn't possibly look at this box jam-packed with different kinds of Quartz and walk away from it. I think it warrants an epic length post, which I'd better go start researching if I want it done by dinnertime.

Museum Reception

Last night, the campus museum hosted a reception to celebrate the opening of its new exhibits. I think I was the only freshman who went, but there were a lot of faculty and older students in attendance. I bring it up because as I was walking through the exhibits, I noticed this Japanese tsuba, a decorative hand guard for a samurai's katana.

It caught my attention, because its eyes, which were covered with a brighter metal (gold leaf, maybe?), shone in its display. Upon taking a closer look at it, I immediately recognized Raijin, and felt a rush of validation when I looked at the information card and saw that it was, indeed, Raijin being depicted.

Raijin is the Japanese thunder god ("rai" being thunder and "jin" an alteration of "shin", which in turn is the same "shin" in "Shinto", and means "god"). He is often shown with (or competing against) Fuujin, the wind god. According to Shinto mythology, after Izanami and Izanagi created Japan, the Buddha entrusted eight Raijin to protect the Dharma (assigned a variety of meanings, but primarily referring to natural law). This sort of syncretism between Shintoism and Buddhism was and is very common among the Japanese. When there is a storm, Raijin beats his drums (note the drumsticks he holds in the tsuba) and produces thunder. His drums are usually topped with a mitsudomoe symbol, a variant of the tomoe and a trinity figure thought to represent Man, Earth, and Sky. The mitsudomoe is also visible in the tsuba as the circles above and below the central slit for the blade - the top retains its bright metallic covering, making the three-pronged symbol easy to see. Those who are familiar with Japanese mythology might look at Raijin's iconography and assume him to be a demon, or oni. Some versions of the myth do indeed suggest that Raijin is a reformed oni, thus explaining the resemblance. One legend says that Raijin likes to eat children's bellybuttons, and so some parents may warn their children to keep their navels covered during thunderstorms. Another story, found in Judika Illes' Encyclopedia of Spirits, states that Raijin saved Japan from the 1274 Mongolian invasion by firing thunderbolts at the Mongol ships.

Raijin is never found without his loyal companion (and perhaps pet), Raijuu, the thunder beast. This spirit, often taking the form of a white or blue wolf or fox, is the source of electricity and lightning, and has the dubious honor of being the inspiration for the Pokémon, Raichu. Another explanation of the bellybutton story is that Raijuu likes to fall asleep in people's navels, and Raijin must strike him with lightning to wake him up, thus harming the sleeper. Those who believe this version of the story may sleep on their stomachs in bad weather, whereas others say that Raijuu only sleeps in the bellybuttons of people sleeping outside.
Modern practitioners wishing to honor Raijin could call upon him for protection during storms or a power outage. While I imagine there are specific rites one may do to honor the thunder god, a small monetary offering is standard fare among the Japanese kami. Unless you live in Japan, it is unlikely that you live near any sort of shrine to Raijin. If this is the case, money could be donated via the internet to help provide relief for storm victims or to help maintain Japanese shrines which honor the thunder god and associated deities.

Kiyomizudera

And you thought I was done talking about my Japan trip! ;) Not even close. It does give me a lot of blog fodder, though, so I may stretch it out just a bit.

Otowa-San Kiyomizudera

Literally "Clear Water of Mt. Otowa Temple", Kiyomizudera is another famous Buddhist temple in Kyoto. Founded in 778, before Kyoto was made Japan's capital, the temple buildings have been burned down numerous times. Most of the present buildings were rebuilt by the Shogun Tokugawa in the 1630s. In 1994, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list as a historic monument of ancient Kyoto. 

Kiyomizu Temple is a stunning example of Japanese architecture and worship, but regrettably, I only have a few pictures since many of the buildings prohibit photography. 

This is the Deva Gate and primary entrance into the temple grounds. Devas (Ten in Japanese) are Buddhist entities who live on higher planes. They are invisible to the human eye, but those with special extrasensory capabilities may possess the power to hear their voices or see them psychically, or the spirits may take on an illusory form to manifest themselves on the human plane. Their powers include flying and moving from place to place with great speed; the more powerful varieties neither eat nor drink. Under the umbrella term "Deva", there are many varieties of spirit, each having their own abilities and place in the universe. They are arranged hierarchically and in this way could be considered comparable to angelic choirs in Christianity, but a Buddhist would likely caution one to not assume that Devas are equivalent to angels; indeed, some important distinctions exist that one should be aware of. For starters, Devas are not paragons of morality. They certainly can be, and many are, but it is not a requirement. Some possess human vices like arrogance or pride, and likewise they are not omnipotent. Furthermore, Devas are not immortal (though their life span may be billions of years), and they reincarnate just as all other mortal beings do in Buddhist belief. A Deva may come back as a human, another Deva, or something else altogether. It is not easy to work with this brand of spirit, as getting their attention is a challenge, but if they can be contacted they tend to give valuable advice and insight.

Remember the Komainu from Itsukushima? Here's another one, right outside the Deva Gate.

This one is not my picture. It shows the main hall of the temple and the terrace which provides a stunning overlook of the valley and of Kyoto beyond. In this hall is enshrined Kannon Bosatsu (remember her from Kinkakuji?) and I got to see a group of monks performing mass here as well as individuals making offerings and prayers.

This (also not my picture) is the goddess Kannon shown in her form of having 11 heads and 1,000 arms. According to legend, she saw all the misery and suffering in the world but could not answer all the prayers of her supplicants, so her head split into 11 pieces and now she has 11 mouths with which to answer. Likewise, her hands could not offer help to all of humanity, so her arms split apart and now she has 1,000 of them to aid her in her task. The Kiyomizudera statue is hidden most of the time; according to my research, it is only viewable once every 33 years.

The name, Clear Water Temple, comes from the fresh mountain springs which have been flowing since the temple was founded. There are three springs, and patrons wait in a long line to hold a bamboo ladle under the water and drink. Each spring has a different association - longevity, wisdom, and love - but it is generally considered bad form to drink from all three.
I did buy lucky amulets here, of course. One is a small figure of the "god of Business Success", and the other has a dragon printed on the fabric for good fortune.

June 23rd, 2014

I do want to write up posts about my time in Japan, but first, a bit of news from today. My family and I are spending the weekend at my chosen university for next fall, going through the whole freshmen orientation business. The campus is set in a beautiful landscape, mere minutes from a wildlife refuge, national forest, and a park that's actually called Garden of the Gods. Not only that, but five minutes from my dorm is a Gaia Interfaith center, and there's a forest preserve in the middle of campus. It couldn't be a more ideal setting for a Pagan (well, other than no candles or incense in the dorm room). Moreover, there's a ton of diversity in the student body, so I can't imagine I'll be the only Pagan in the area. Like the icing on the cake, we were taking a bus tour this afternoon when we passed the campus forest preserve and saw a doe standing along the edge of the trees. She looked right at me, and I knew that could only be a sign of Goddess-given approval. I can't wait to start here in the fall!

Okay, back to Japan. The first shrine we visited was Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, across the bay from Hiroshima. 

Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima is one of the most famous shrines in Japan, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Because it is a Japanese shrine, it is Shinto. Japanese temples are Buddhist. That being said, Shintoism and Zen Buddhism coexist peacefully on this island nation, and indeed, over 70% of the population considers itself both Buddhist and Shinto. Many famous places are actually home to both temples and shrines in the same acre of space. As a general rule of thumb, Shinto rites relate to one's daily life, while Buddhist rites deal with death and remembrance of the deceased. In Shintoism, the color white is considered sacred. Many paper temple decorations are white, as are the robes worn by the priests.

The shrine celebrates the god of the island itself, specifically the god (kami) of Mt. Misen, the island's tallest mountain. That being said, there are websites which say that this shrine venerates Susanoo, the moon and storm god, his daughters, or various local goddesses. I am basing my information off what was listed on the UNESCO website, given that that seemed like the most reliable source of information.

Itsukushima was supposedly founded in 593, but no written record of it exists prior to 811. The original buildings were reconstructed and expanded in the 1100s (1168, according to written record), after which the shrine received the patronage of Taira no Kiyomori, the most powerful shogun of the era. He believed he owed his political power to the god of Itsukushima, and worshiped there often. As a result, some Japanese may consider the place a shrine to Kiyomori as well.

Fire severely damaged the premises in 1207, but reconstruction efforts kept the blueprints very similar to what had been there in Kiyomori's time. Since then, the shrine has never been reconstructed all at once, but individual buildings have required work as storms, typhoons, and tsunamis have done damage. They have been meticulously repaired in accordance with historical materials and practices. The Japanese government now personally oversees work done on this historical religious site. A relatively recent addition? Fire extinguishers, since Itsukushima is built entirely of wood and plaster.

But enough history. It's the pictures that you actually want to see.

Here's your first view of Itsukushima as you approach Miyajima by ferry. That vermillion Torii gate is not the shrine itself, but it is the gate of purification that designates the presence of all Shinto shrines. This one is particularly impressive - for one thing, it's huge. For another, it's set well out on the beach such that it appears to float on the water at high tide. In ancient times, pilgrims could not enter the island until they had passed under the Torii by canoe and ritually cleansed themselves.

Also on the island, besides the shrine, are dozens of these cute little deer (Yes, that's me next to him. Pictures or it didn't happen, right?). They're considered a Japanese national treasure, and are denizens of the shrine in their own right. Being completely used to human presence, one can walk right up to them, and they'll just keep on minding their own business. You aren't actually supposed to pet them (a rule that doesn't seem especially well-followed), but if you have so much as the slip of a paper receipt showing, they will try to eat it. Go figure.

This is a Komainu, a "lion dog" spirit always displayed in pairs and usually at the entry gates to Shinto shrines. Originating in China, Komainu spirits and their statues are found today in Korea and Japan as well. Lions are mystically believed to frighten away evil in the East, and so they sit and guard these sacred spaces. In many pairs, the animals are identical but for one thing: their mouths. Often, one will have its mouth open and the other's will be closed. The open-mouthed spirit is saying "A", the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, while the closed-mouth spirit says "Um", the last letter. Together, they say "Aum", representative of the beginning and end of all things (think Alpha and Omega); the word has significance in Buddhisn, Hinduism, and Jainism, but is relevant to cultures the world over.

This is a much closer view of the Torii gate; note how small the people are by comparison. Leave a coin at its base and make a wish.

These are the handwashing stations which can be found outside all shrines and some temples. The proper way to use them is as follows: holding the dipper in your left hand, scoop a cup of water and pour it over your right. Switch the dipper to your right hand, and pour water over your left. Then cup your left hand and pour water into it. Sip this water and use it to rinse your mouth; then spit it out onto the bamboo or rocks outside the water enclosure. Finally, allow the remaining water to run down the handle of the dipper to clean it for the next person. This represents purification of the body, while passing through the Torii gate is purification of the soul.

And finally, the shrine itself. Inside, one can walk the corridors in quiet contemplation, pray as desired, marvel at the tiny crabs inhabiting the sandy courtyard at low tide, and if you happen to make it at just the right time, watch a Shinto priest perform a ceremony. Available for purchase are paper fortunes (better than fortune cookies) in a variety of languages - English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are the usual ones - or Omamori, which are lucky amulets. These come in a wide variety of colors and meanings, and each can only be bought at that specific temple or shrine. They are often monogrammed, at the very least, with the name of where they were bought and with their purpose. From Itsukushima, I got a purple amulet (or in this case talisman might be more accurate) to enhance studying and a pastel one embroidered with island deer for general good fortune.

That's Miyajima! If you ever have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend it. It is absolutely stunning, not to mention of vast historical, cultural, and religious significance. I can also tell you that the maple leaf is an iconic symbol in the Miyajima area, and that you can not only see many wild Japanese maples (Momiji) but you can also get lots of maple leaf themed snacks and souviners. Yes, I shopped more in two weeks than I've done in my entire eighteen years. No, I do not have a single regret.

September 7th, 2013

Oh my, did it slip into September somehow? Good gracious! I seem to have missed the memo. However, I had an exceptionally productive Saturday for a change - I spent something like 12 hours crocheting a lacy steampunk choker. Why? Because my high school is going to use steampunk costumes for our upcoming production of A Midsummer Night's Dream - I'm going to play Puck and wanted to get a head start on costume design.

I also redecorated my altar for Mabon. It's so nice to be up-to-date on things; I can actually feel the energy change in my room!

It's got a much simpler design than I've had in previous years; right now, I'm appreciating austerity (or at least, a look that's austere for me).
My mini shrine got an update as well; after a field trip to the Anderson Japanese Gardens yesterday, I had several new items for incorporation, compliments of the gift shop.
First and foremost, I bought a package of Japanese incense, scented like lotus flowers. It smells wonderful even without burning it. I didn't realize the package came with its own incense holder, so I bought a ceramic one shaped like an origami crane.

I also bought a Maneki Neko, the beckoning cat who calls forth good luck. The kanji, 学問運, is read "Gakumonun" and means "academic luck"; he's going to be my college kitty! The kanji appear on a gold coin which represents wealth and is also a play on the Japanese idiom "To give gold coins to a cat", which is the equivalent of "Pearls before swine".

 

My final big effort of the evening was to painstakingly reduce the number of stones on my shrine - it was getting way too cluttered! I moved all the stones to boxes and pouches, and put all of those into a large cosmetics bag to keep them together. I left out only a few pieces: a Fossil for earth, Emerald for air, Garnet for fire, Amethyst for water, and a geode for Akasha.

I also left my Quartz point and Petrified Wood for the Goddess and God, respectively. Two snail shells were added to the same effect, and I finished it off with a mussel shell for water offerings.

August 7th, 2013

Serpentine

Physical Characteristics: Up to 20 different minerals are classified as belonging to the Serpentine group, but given their difficulty in individualizing, distinctions are not usually made. Serpentine is a green stone, thought to resemble the skin of a snake, hence its name.

In Nature: There are three major varieties of this mineral: Antigorite (formed by the geologic metamorphosis of wet ultramafic rock), Chrysotile (in which the same minerals form a variety of crystal structures), and lizardite. Antigorite Serpentine is most commonly a decorative stone.

Chemical Composition: (Mg, Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4

Mohs Scale Hardness: 2.5 - 5.5 (low - middle)

Can be Found: Canada, the USA, Afghanistan, Britain, Greece, China, France, Korea, Austria, India, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Italy

Healing Properties*: Serpentine is used to treat a wide range of physical disorders, including cardiac irregularity, stomach and bowel issues, kidney disorders, menstrual problems (particularly cramps), and sexual dysfunction in women. It is an excellent stone for those in need of cellular regeneration, may aid those struggling with diabetes, and can help eliminate parasites.

Magickal Properties: An excellent meditation stone, Serpentine assists in finding inner peace as well as clearing the mind. This is especially effective when paired with Jade. For those seeking to awaken Kundalini energies, Serpentine may provide any needed assistance. Also, the stone is a draw for both elemental beings and angelic guides. In ancient Assyria, the stone was carried to request blessings of the Gods and Goddesses; there is no reason to believe that this is an invalid use today. Furthermore, the stone is good for the mind, keeping its bearer calm in hectic and/or stressful situations. It protects against snakebite, and could theoretically be charged to ward off animal bites in general. The stone's protective power extends to banishing poisons, malicious spirits, and negative magick. In the Far East, Serpentine is often incorporated into altars and temple decorations to create a peaceful atmosphere.

Chakra Association: Fourth (Heart) Chakra, though it can clear blockages from any of the seven.

Element: Fire

Energy: Projective

Planetary Association: Saturn

*Magickal healing should never take the place of seeing a doctor and following any recommended prescriptions, actions, or other advice. Magick works best in tandem with physical efforts, anyway, so don't skimp on those check-ups!

April 14th, 2013

I don't even know what to do with myself right now. After four and a half months of some of the hardest work I've ever done, my high school's production of Les Miserables was absolutely astounding. Our final show out of seven was last night, and frankly, it was Broadway-quality. We were all crying backstage before the show (I don't think there was a dry eye in the cast), and some of us continued to cry while we were performing. Luckily, Les Mis is a show where that's totally in-character.
Last week Wednesday we had a preview rehearsal-show where kids from local elementary and middle schools came in to see us perform. Before we started that day, I took a little bottle of blessed salt water and sprinkled it around the stage to invoke creative positive energy and all that good jazz. Before each show, I also called on the Lady Minerva and Lord Dionysus, Goddess and God of theatre, to keep everyone's voices sounding awesome, to keep the microphones working, to have the lights be correct, for the orchestra pit to be awesome... The list goes on. It was probably a five to ten minute little ritual of mine, and in the end, it totally paid off; in my time at that school, we performed The Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story, both of which were fantastic shows, but Les Miserables blew everything my school has ever done out of the water. Almost a third of the cast is graduating this year, and I'll miss everyone terribly - if you're reading this, it'd be great if you could send them all some positive energy for their life at college and beyond.

January 25th, 2013

Good afternoon, one and all! I am inordinately happy that it is the weekend. This week was pretty jam-packed so a day or two of a breather is going to be great. I finished Judika Illes' Encyclopedia of Spirits the other day, and am so glad to own it. The sheer volume of material it contains is staggering, not only about the deities themselves, but also about how and when to honor them, what offerings they like, and some even had full rituals described. Next on my list-to-read is a book I bought a few weeks back: Scott Cunningham's The Magical Household. I also found a book about Hummingbird mythology at the library, and just had to bring it home. I was amused to find that one of the Aztec deities, Huitzilopochtli, discussed in Illes' book was also in the Hummingbird book I checked out.

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Huitzilopochtli, Aztec for "Hummingbird from the Left", is the lord of war and spirit of the sun. According to the book I checked out (Hummingbirds: Facts and Folklore from the Americas), the Aztecs were led in a battle against invaders by Huitzilopochtli, who was then killed, insomuch as a god can be. Afterwards, the Aztec warriors discovered their god had transformed into a Hummingbird. Thereafter, it was believed that Hummingbirds were the spirits of fallen warriors and were given great honor. Hummingbirds' long beaks are perceived as looking like weapons, and they are often fierce defenders of their mates and territory.

January 18th, 2013

I'm so happy! I got an "A" on all of my finals, including the one I had to take for Calculus! Thank Goddess!

In other news, I'm still working my way through Judika Illes' Encyclopedia of Spirits, and was particularly interested in the entry for the Roman goddess Minerva. Apparently, in addition to her common association with the Greek Athena, Minerva is a goddess of the arts and of artists. As an artist myself, that would make her a potential deity to consider as a matron. Also interestingly, her Feast days occur from March 19th to March 23rd - my birthday is March 20th. I'll have to consider this.
I've been toying with the idea of cultivating a relationship with Dionysus for some time now, who, in addition to being a god of wine, is a god of theatre and actors, of which I would also consider myself one. Dionysus' Roman counterpart is Bacchus. Since Dionysus and Minerva both come from the same region and don't have any mythological tensions between them, I would think they could work as patron/matron pair. I don't want to decide on patron deities too quickly, though - it's a big commitment. I've also been considering working more closely with Shinto deities. Anyone have any idea if Shinto and Greco-Roman deities would conflict with each other?

Minerva

December 25th, 2012

Merry Christmas to any Christians I happen to have viewing my blog today. I hope that you get as much joy celebrating your "son" god as I get from celebrating my sun god. :)

For Yule/Christmas, I got a couple of fabulous gifts - The Witches Datebook 2013 was from a sweet woman who works at my school. From my parents, I got a really pretty faerie calendar that includes already printed in it all of the Pagan holidays, full moons, eclipses, etc., and from Santa, I got Encyclopedia of Spirits, by Judika Illes, which I've been wanting for several months. I started reading it today, and it is so good, I can't put it down!

June 17th, 2012

Our trip to Niagara was great! It lasted from the 14th to the 17th, and we got to see all sorts of things. The 14th was all driving; we left later in the day, and spent the night in Indiana. On the 15th, we drove the rest of the way, and got to our hotel in Cheektowaga, NY, just in time for supper. After we ate, we made it down to the falls to see one Nik Wellenda! It was completely by coincidence that our trip matched his crossing of the falls on tightrope, and honestly, I was glad we hadn't come all the way out just to see that. We didn't really have the greatest view, as there were so many people. Nevertheless, I could see the tightrope, shimmering through the mist. And once it started, I could just make out Wellenda working his way across.

The next day was more exciting, though. We took the Maid of the Mist out under the Horseshoe Falls. The mist was so thick, you couldn't even see the waterfall. You looked up from the tossing lake, thick with foam, to see a blanket of white filling the sky. We wore ponchos on the boat, so I got less wet than I'd anticipated, but Niagara was perfectly happy to change that later in the day. After we docked, we walked over to Goat Island to get a better view of Bridal Veil Falls. It was nice to look down them, but it was the Cave of the Winds tour that was truly magickal. It was a hike right in front of the Bridal Veil Falls, that takes you to where Hinum's cave once existed, before years of erosion washed it out.

The tour lets you view the vast population of gulls (including the last fluffy babies), as well as get a close-up of the water. A close-up as in water pouring down the inside of your poncho, making them completely irrelevant. One could literally stand mere feet in front of the falls. In spite of being surrounded by people, you can't hear anything except the roar of the water in your ears. We drove the 12 hours back home on the 17th, taking a detour through Pennsylvania to see some of the Allegheny Forest.

April 29th, 2012

Hard to believe that it's almost May! There's been a whole lot of nothing going on here the past couple days, but that's alright. It's given me a chance to catch up with my friends, and spend some time with my family. I've been staring at my screen for a good 10 minutes and have no idea what else of value I can add, so have a picture of Pan instead: