A Samhain Pumpkin

This pumpkin painting was inspired by my dear friend Hazelnut. As you may recall, a while back we bought some gourds and pumpkins together, and I just got around to painting my little orange friend. Last night, Hazelnut gave me a most wonderful idea for a painting, and so here it is.

The front...:























...and the back:


*A note: This says "friend" in Japanese.

October 20th, 2011

Turquoise. One of the better-known gemstones, and one that I have been utilizing a lot these days. It is found (in the USA, anyway) primarily in the South-west. It also occurs in Mexico and Iran. Turquoise comes in a variety of colors, the most common of which is a bright sky-blue. It can, however, have a greenish hue. Some rarer varieties can be found in an apple green. While there are numerous uses for turquoise, the complexities of which I don't know enough about to get into, I generally use it to enhance the 5th, or throat, chakra. Turquoise, when worn or held to this energy vortex, allows one to speak more clearly, and be self-expressive. As I have daily choir and play practice, I have found it extremely helpful. I have a turquoise ring and necklace, both of which get frequent use. If you need a bit of a vocal pick-me-up, if you have any throat or voice-related disease, or if you have difficulty expressing yourself to others, wearing turquoise can be helpful. For some added oomph, cleanse it in ritual, and empower it for your purpose.

Tarot Cards: The Major Arcana, 4 and 5

4 - The Emperor: creating order out of chaos, authority, leadership, strength, law and order, structure


5 - The Hierophant: secrets, tradition, ritual, ceremony, pursuing knowledge, manifestation of spiritual, solving mysteries

October 19th, 2011

Remember that lovely weather that we've had here-abouts recently? Well, today was a bit different. It was drippy all morning, and then this evening it has been pouring. However, rain is simply another aspect of the earth, and as such is just as sacred as the sun, snow, and wind. While it hasn't been storming, a particularly strong blast of wind reminded me of a part of Silver Ravenwolf's interpretation of a Pagan creation myth.

"When thunder roars in the heavens and lightening cracks from the ground, the Lord and Lady dance the divine myth of creation so that we may remember Them and know that we are never alone, and that we all are one."

There are, of course, many beliefs within Paganism itself, not to mention other religions, as to earth's creation, but I've always been a fan of Ravenwolf's description, as it closely mirrors how I have instinctively felt from a young age.

Tarot Cards: The Major Arcana, 2 and 3

Here are today's tarot cards and their meanings. Remember, if you use regular playing cards as your tarot deck, both of these will be in the extra 22 cards set aside and marked for the Major Arcana.

2 - The High Priestess: Wisdom, knowledge, learning, virtue, purity, a full cycle


3 - The Empress: Creativity, generosity, patience, love, abundance, experiencing the senses, embracing the natural, creation, life

October 18th, 2011

I always make it a point to check outside the window in the morning for any little furry friends that may be hanging out, and lo and behold, this morning a fluffy little skunk was eating out of the ground feeder. Then later, as I walked to my bus stop, I startled a wee little bunny rabbit. Now, rabbits have always been a favorite animal of mine, but I've found that, in the mornings anyway, they tend to herald difficulty or upcoming strife. When I got home, I checked that against internet sources on Power Animals and the like, and my theory seems to be correct. Traditionally, one of the rabbit's power associations is that of fear or upset. Curious, I then looked up meanings behind the skunk and found that skunks mean creativity and self-confidence. Combined, the two ideas give one a surprisingly accurate summary of my day: it was all right, but I had some moments lacking in confidence, where I didn't want to say anything, because I couldn't figure out the "right" thing to say. How about you, readers? Have you noticed any animals that have a special meaning for you?

October 17th, 2011

I have covered divining with pendulums before, but that has been the only tool I have yet to venture into a post about, so I thought I would begin having a daily post about different tarot cards, in addition to my regular posts. The tarot is an interesting topic, because it allows one to ask far more in-depth questions, and examine the various levels and factors in a situation. If you already have a tarot deck, that's brilliant! My deck, a gift from my lovely Aunt C, was illustrated by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, and is absolutely gorgeous. If you don't, do not despair. In the event that you are unable to purchase one, you could draw your own deck (you don't have to be a master artist), or use regular playing cards. The tarot is divided into a Major and Minor arcana. The Major indicates major events, while the Minor indicates smaller or more subtle events. The Minor arcana is further divided into four suites: wands, cups, swords, and pentacles. I will begin with the Major arcana. These are 22 cards, each symbolizing a unique event or characteristic. I will list the meanings commonly associated with each card, but that may vary depending upon the reader. If your gut instinct goes against what I have written, trust it.

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0 - The Fool: new beginnings, pleasure, passion, thoughtlessness, rashness, doing before thinking, adventure, unlimited possibilities.


1 - The Magician: Originality, creativity, skill, willpower, self-confidence, manifestation, the elements.

My crummy pictures hardly do the cards justice, but these are sample cards one could reference. If you are using a deck of playing cards, one would need a regular deck of 52 cards, as well as another 22 cards that could be marked for the Major Arcana. If you choose to do this, simply write the Major arcana titles on the bottom of those selected cards. The rest you could choose to mark, or have the correspondences (which I will cover later) recorded elsewhere.

Gaia

Thank heavens for Google, which provides me with a plethora of wonderful images. Hope you find this picture as peaceful and thought-provoking as I did.

October 16th, 2011

I have a Pagan friend who needs help. She's smart, absolutely hilarious, and one of the most amazing, beautiful people I know. But her home life sucks, and she's got clinical depression. If you are reading this, I don't care who you are or what you believe, take a moment to send her some positive energy. We've been trying to get her into counselling, but it's so hard to find good therapists who will work for free. In light of this, I want to take today to put down two simple spells to banish depression and negativity, as well as a ritual for increasing self-esteem. This goes out to my soul sister, and to any other Pagans out there also suffering depression.

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To Banish Depression: Go to a place with running water, like a stream, river, etc.. Light a candle for the Lord, and a candle for the Lady (tea lights would work well for this), and take a black stone in the right hand. Focus all the reasons for your depression into the stone. Let your negative feelings drain out of you and fill the stone. Then throw it into the water, and say "I cast you out, let the bad wash away. Let me be filled with peace and harmony.". Sit for a few moments and enjoy a feeling of positive energy flooding you.
To Banish Negativity: When you are feeling particularly stressed, take a deep breath and say or think to yourself "Sun by day, moon by night. Let all dark thoughts be put to flight." Take another deep breath, and release the tension in your body.
To Boost Self Esteem: Take a ritual bath, and really relax. Break out the bubbles, bath salts, special shampoos or lotions - whatever you have. If all you really have is your everyday shampoo and soap, run a bath anyway and add some dish soap and table salt. Afterwards, put on a ritual robe or other special outfit. For anyone on a budget (like me, for example) or who just can't have robes, tie a bed sheet around yourself toga-style. Create Sacred Space, and cast a circle. If you like, play calming music, or natural sounds. On your altar, have a red cloth, on which are pink, white, and silver candles (all-white are acceptable, as are those birthday candles in the bottom of the kitchen drawer). Have also a pen, a mirror, and hearts cut out of construction paper. Light the altar candles, and take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Open your mind to the Goddess, and let her tell you all the amazing things about you. Write these on the hearts. If a negative response comes, write it down, scribble it out, and burn it in the silver candle. Then look in the mirror and say "I am not {insert negative comment here}, I am beautiful/handsome.". Take as long for this exercise as you need. Then say (with feeling) "I am Goddess/God. I am connected to all things great and small. I am Goddess/God. I am the giver of strength and love to life. I honor the Divine in me! Blessed be.". Then eat something tasty, and get out in nature, even if that means sitting on the back porch and enjoying the weather.

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Remember, no matter who you are, you were made specially by the Lord and Lady, and have something unique to bring to the planet, and to learn. Never let anyone or anything cause you to forget that.

Samhain Costume, Cont.

Today I finished off (for now) my Samhain costume, by making a fairy wand.



They're really simple, and can be used for costumes, rituals, and representations of the element air. Simply find a stick that you like in your yard, the park, etc. Mine is about two feet long, but go with a length that you will like. I recommend you use a fallen stick, as wood that has dried out seems to work better, but if you're set on cutting a branch, make sure to ask the tree's permission, and leave a gift of some kind afterwards, be it a bit of hair, water, etc. Then, use a pocket knife or other carving tool to scrape off the outer layer of bark, leaving a few natural inches at the bottom for a handle. If there are any rough spots, go over them with some sandpaper, before painting on any designs that you want. I did stripes at the top and just above the handle in the elemental colors, but you could also use runes, spirals, or anything else that speaks to you. Lacking a real crystal, I also added a plastic rhinestone to the handle, and some white ribbons to the top. Other adornments could include bells, beads, feathers, etc.