Convocation - Day 1 - Thursday

Thursday morning I woke up excited that this day was the first day of Convocation.  My wonderful inlaws showed up at my home early to get the boys so that way I had a bit more time to pack and prepare for Convocation.  As soon as everything was packed and the car semi-loaded to the brim, my sister and I set out to go get one of our friends from the airport. 

Nora was able to fly in without any major problems, but had to deal with her inital drive to her airport in white out conditions and later that evening told us that its not normal for them to have that much snow.  What is normally a 2 hour drive turned into a 6 hour drive just to get to her airport for her first flight.  We then proceeded to the parking garage and then loaded the car up to the brim with all of our luggage and supplies for our workshops. (Mental note: next year take photos of the back seat....oh wait I can take photos on the return trip home. There will most likely be even more stuff from our shopping excursions! LOL)

The GPS decided to take us an alternate route it never took me from the airport to the hotel.  And to make matters more difficult or humorous pending how you looked at it, we had also invited Nora to help with the GPS on her phone to see what it would say.  The two devices could not agree on directions! LOL  One would say it was 7.5 miles and the other would say it was only 7 miles.  Happily, we did make it to the hotel in one piece thru Detroit 5pm traffic in record time!

We got to the hotel where we were greeted by our friends AmethystCat, IbisFire, and Ravenswood.  They along with a nice gentleman named Chance, helped us unload our car and drag everything into the hotel.  (Thanks again ladies and Chance for coming to my rescue!)

We brought items to our room and knowing that Nora had not much to eat, we decided to take our annual night out to Red Robins for Thursday, since we are getting hit by a big storm on Friday.  Good food and laughs were had by all.

Nora trying to decide what to eat.

Autumn and AmethystCat

IbisFire and Ravenswood

Keep your eyes open and smile pretty for the camera!

Me and my gal pal IbisFire!

So after dinner we hurried back to the hotel for Opening Ceremonies and Ritual.  As always the MEC crew did not disappoint!  They had a new way of having the people come in and Michael stated he was excited to find a way to incorporate a disco ball into ritual.  They shut off all the lights and the ball acted as a mainframe for shooting stars across the ballroom's ceiling.  We were serenaded by musical acts and it was beautiful.

Afterwards, a few of us went to some evening workshops, much more offered on Thursday night than normal!  Kudos to MEC again!  Nora and I headed to the local grocery store to stock up on supplies before the pending storm that is going to hit on Friday.  Later that evening, it was late night snacks in the KOTH room of Tabouli, hummus and awesomely good pita bread from Taboons thanks to Ravenswood with a ton of their garlic butter!  Oh I was in heaven!  We called it a night shortly after the midnight hour to get some shut eye for our busy day (really today since its Friday morning when I write this) today.

We wiill be going to the Artshow room as soon as it opens at 9am to go and purchase some new goodies my friend Heidi said she crafted and had a limited supply.  Then it is off to the 9:30 morning ritual of Swamp Witchery by Dorothy Morrison and Jacki from Coventry Creations!  We are looking for to having alot of fun today as well as I am presenting two of my three workshops today.

So until later tonight when I blog again, have a wonderful and magical day!

Blessed Be,

Crystal

Convocation

Convocation is almost here!  Less than three days I will be at the largest indoor Pagan event East of the Mississippi!  I say East because Pantheacon is slightly larger. 

I plan on Tweeting about this wonderful event, so if you want to catch my tweets, make sure to follow me @crystallunaroug !  There is going to be a ton of excitement and fabulous Guest Presenters such as Dorothy Morrison, M.R. Sellars, Christopher Penczak and my personal favorite mentor and friend Nora Cedarwind Young! 

You can also check back here for updates as I plan on blogging about each and every day at the event once I get there.  You have to love WiFi! 

So if you are attending Convo yourself, make sure to look me up and say Hi!  I would love to meet you and chat!

Its going to be a busy few days from now until then.  Picking up KOTH's High Priestess Autumn Starr (http://www.keepersofthehearth.com/) who is also my biological sister, not just a sister in the craft.  We are a magical family!  Getting some quality time with her alone before I have to share her with the rest of the community. LOL

KOTH has a larger crew attending this year, we have AmethystCat and Ibisfire from the Rhea Lur Coven, we got Terry and Jenn from the Sacred Birch Society, as well as my fellow Women of the Willow sister Katherine Ravenswood!  Our big night out for dinner will happen, most likely the Thursday night because Friday and Saturday are just so dang packed with all sorts of wonderful things to do! 

Its going to take me all three days to pack!  Especially since today was a snow day in Michigan and my two boys are home biding for my attention. LOL  Mental note, pack at night when they are asleep!  Where are those suitcases anyways?

Special Note to anyone reading this that is attending Convocation....please be kind and share the luggage carts!

Blessed Be!
Crystal

The Spring Cleaning Begins

Well I am currently taking a short break to enjoy some "Mommy Time" while the baby is down for his nap.  Its been a rough few days as he is teething and hopefully experiences the outburst of his final two teeth that have not come in yet.  (Fingers crossed they make their debut very soon!)

Today I have been working on the beginnings of my Annual Spring Cleaning.  I go from room to room, wiping down walls, dusting everything in sight, changing linens, going thru closets for clothing that no longer fits, etc.  Today I also cleaned up the baby's altar in his room.  While I was pregnant I began the construction of the baby's altar.  Not knowing what I was going to have in the beginning, I used a yellow flannel receiving blanket as an altar cloth upon the dresser that would become Shaun's.  Above the cloth I placed a few various items that changed throughout my pregnancy.  I wish I took photos back then, but honestly I never really thought about doing so.  Guess I could re-create a few of them to show you as an example if there is interest in it.   

Shortly after I was pregnant I wanted to do something special for my pregnancy.  During Convocation while I was pregnant with Shaun, I came across who is now my favorite candle maker Coventry Creations (http://www.coventrycreations.com/).  She had a set of candles for a baby blessing. I immediately purchased them. It was a set of three candles so this became my Goddess, God, and Spirit candles.  I also placed upon the altar a baby's brush to represent the wand as well.   I have a few other things upon it as well.  Today I gave Tauret a good dusting.  Tauret is the Egyptian Goddess of pregnant women and childbirth.  While I was pregnant, my sister came to visit and she gifted me with this present to place upon my baby's altar while I was pregnant.  She gave me a purple hippo in the form of a stuffed animal.  It was perfect for the baby's altar.  Tauret was very dusty so she received a spring cleaning today along with the rest of the baby's room.  The brush which was representing the baby's wand has now been replaced by a home made wooden branch sling shot that his daddy will teach him how to use when he gets older.  I do also have other items upon it that have found its way Shaun's altar.  A white nosie maker is now the symbol for Air and four packets from the baby's protection spell that was gifted to us by my friends from the Rhea Lur Coven are now in a mason jar upon his altar.  The packets contain herbs and gemstones within them that were put in the four corners of Shaun's room but now that he is mobile and putting things into his mouth that he should not do, they have found their home upon his altar.

Well that is all for today, if you have children, do you have an altar that is for them?  What is on it?  I would love to see photos of other children's altars out there.

Blessed Be,
Crystal LunaRouge

Dreams to Come?

Well, wish me luck!  This evening I went to the post office and put my first completed manuscript in the mail to my favorite publishing house.  Here is to keeping my fingers crossed that they want to publish my book For the Pregnant Pagan Priestess.

Hopefully my dream of being a published author will materialize!  So now the waiting game begins.  Please Goddess give me the strength to not bite every nail on my hands off from the waiting.   I was told to not bug or contact a publishing house for a minimum of three months.  That is how long the process is to even get to a submitted manuscript. 

Here is to one of my dreams coming true!

Wish me luck and if you are so inclined, cross your fingers for me will you?

Blessed Be,
Crystal

Pagan Spirit Gathering

For immediate release: Please share this news via blogs, websites, social networking, e-zines, other ways.



Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG), a weeklong national celebration of Summer Solstice & Community, has a new site.



PSG 2011 will be held June 19-26 at Stonehouse Park, a beautiful,

rural historical re-enactment campground near Earlville in Northern

Illinois, about 80 miles west of downtown Chicago.



"We are looking forward to having the Pagan Spirit Gathering within a

short drive from the greater Chicago area again," says PSG's founder

Selena Fox." We haven't been this close to Chicago since PSG 1983 when

our site was on private land along the Rock River. This is the first

time that PSG will be in Illinois, and we have been getting very

positive responses to the news from Illinois Pagans as well as Pagans

from around the country."



The new site for the PSG Community is a 50 acre wooded park with

plenty of level, shaded camping areas, plus a creek for wading, and a

sandy beach and pond for swimming. In addition, the Stonehouse Park

site has a large barn for indoor concerts and talks, plus a campstore,

showerhouse, and other buildings. Cell phone service works at this

site and there also is wi-fi. More details:

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/psg/site



Registration is now open:

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/psg/onlineregistration



Proposals for workshops, rituals, concerts, and other presentations

are now being accepted from those who register. Vendor applications

are also being accepted from registrants.



Among the featured presenters at PSG 2011 will be authors Raven

Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor, Patrick McCollum, Nora Cedarwind Young,

Ruth Barrett, Falcon River, and Selena Fox. Shibaten from Japan, who

debuted his shamanic percussion and world music at PSG last year, will

be returning. More authors, musicians, and other presenters will be

announced in coming weeks. Bios and photos of some presenters are

on-line: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/psg/presenters



Pagan Spirit Gathering, begun in 1980, is one of America's oldest and

largest festivals, and is sponsored by Circle Sanctuary. It brings

together Pagans of many paths from across the USA and other countries.

More info: www.circlesanctuary.org/psg



Pagan News Media: Wednesday, February 2, 2011



published by Circle Sanctuary



circle@circlesanctuary.org



(608) 924-2216



PO Box 9, Barneveld, WI 53507 USA



www.circlesanctuary.org







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Circle Sanctuary
PO Box 9
Barneveld, WI 53507

Domestic Witch's Blog - Wonderful Giveaways!

Howdy Everyone!

As I sit here in a hospital waiting room (waiting for my hubby to get out of out patient surgery) I am trying to pass the time by reading one of my favorite blogs to read.  I thought that I would let everyone know that the recent button on my page of Homespun is her's (Domestic Witch's). 

You really should check out her blog because she is hosting several give aways.  One of them is about Divine Lotus Healing which is offerring a free spray to one lucky winner.  Here is to hoping that lucky winner will be moi!  LOL  (Seriously, I would love to get ahold of the Gaia Aura Spray!  Its ingridients sound divine!

So there are a few ways you can access Domestic Witch's blog from my website.
1.  If you click on the title link to this post, it should take you there (if I did it right).
2.  If you click on the Homespun Hullabaloo Button at the upper left portion of my blog page.
3.  If you scroll down a ways on the lower left you will also see her Domestic Witch blog button too!

So I have made it pretty darn easy for you to check her out....you should go on over and pay her a visit now and tell her that Crystal's Cauldron sent you! 

Blessed Be,
Crystal