Pagan Blog Project - R for Reality

I know I am a few weeks behind in the Pagan Blog Project.

I have been busy with everyday life, being sick, starting a new medication routine that involves a lot more trips to the hospital than I wanted.    This past year of being sick and passing my "anniversary" of being told I had Kidney Disease has been sort of life altering.

It has brought me to thinking about death more than I choose to do so, but had to come to the reality that it could possibly happen much much more sooner than I expect.  I have responsibilities that need to be taken care of should something happen to me.

Every day I wake up, I thank the Gods I am alive!  I am grateful for another day to spend with my children, my husband, my family and friends.  I try to live the best I can each and every day.

Long ago, I wished I lived in another reality, one of that of Charmed to live in a beautiful home, or that of Samantha where I could wiggle my nose and my home be suddenly spotless or dinner prepared and set upon the table.  Ok, I admit, I still want Sam's ability, especially when I am having a rough day.

My reality is that the children need to be woken up each and every morning and prepared for school.
Healthy meals need to be prepared, beds made, diapers changed, dog fed, and the list goes on and on.
Some people just don't realize how much work a SAHM (stay at home mom) does on a daily basis.

I don't have the time to always hold a formal ritual in my home.  I have a very demanding three year old that gets jealous when I pet the dog too much. LOL  (For the record, he wants to pet the dog, not that I am spending too much time with the dog.) LOL

So I have been trying to incorporate my spells into my everyday chores.  There are a number of blogs I like to read that include domestic witchcraft.  Of course one of those well known blogs is that of Mrs. B.  If you don't know who she is, her blog Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom are fantastic.  You can read them by clicking HERE.

Another one of my favorite blogs I like to read are that of Dawn Marie Howard.  She used to have the blog named Domestic Witch, and in the past year or so has changed it to her own name. If you scroll thru her entries under "Witchery" you will find wonderful information.  She is also the owner of a shop called Sightly.
One of my favorite entries is when she writes about Sigils.  I have taken that practice into my own home as well as my kitchen for an added boost to always create meals made with love.

These are but two wonderful and knowledgeable women that have taken mundane aspects of being a housewife, homemaker, and mom into something magical.  They have inspired me to bring my magic into my everyday reality.

I know do cleansing and healing spells everyday when I am taking a shower.  I imagine the illness or negativity being washed from the top of my head down my body into the the swirling whirpool of water as it leaves the tub's drain.

I make a linen spray for when I iron my DH's shirts made from Bergamot, Jasmine, and Musk for prosperity in the business place.   I also use other linen sprays made specifically for the master bedroom as well as a Monsters Be Gone spray for the boys rooms that are sprayed upon the bedding. (I also think having Princess Leia has helped with keeping the bad monsters away also!

For the life of me, I don't understand why he takes off the pillow cases every day!

These are just a few examples of how I have brought my magic into my everyday life.  Being sick I want to honor my craft and practice it daily as much as I possibly can.  Doing so, helps me to live a magical life in my everyday "Reality".

I hope everyone had a blessed Mabon!  Bring on Samhain and complete this year's Turn of the Wheel!

Sincerely,
Crystal

ConVocation 2013

Howdy All!

This is just a short reminder that if you plan on teaching at ConVocation 2013, you better get those applications into the MEC quickly.  The deadline to submit workshops is almost upon us.

I have already received a few emails if I were going to present again on my Mooncycle Magic series and I have decided to NOT submit any workshops for 2013.

Why?

You see, one of my favorite authors will be presenting next year for the very first time at ConVocation!  With my past lucks of wanting to go to Guest Presenter classes (such as Dorothy Morrison, Selena Fox, and a few others) I simply do not want to miss any of her classes if I am able to have the opportunity to go to them.   In the past I was alwasys scheduled the same time as most of the classes I wanted to attend.  So I took myself out of the equation.  It will also give me more time to go see my favorite candle maker, owner of Coventry Creations, Detroit's own Hoo-Doo lady, Jacki Smith's classes as well!  I learn something new every year from Jacki!  If you haven't read Coventry Magic yet, you really should think about buying it!  It's one of my favorite books on the market!

It will be lots of fun going and not worrying about the stress that comes with presenting!  I always "freak" out the night before my workshops and sleep very little wondering if anyone would show up.  Of course when that happened a few times they had to bring in more chairs to accomodate the amount of people that did show up! 

The next few years I am going to be focusing on my health and my writing.  I am currently working on a few separate projects.  It's just focusing on one at a time to complete it is where I am having problems.  I just want to work on them all at once. Hahaha  Who knows maybe for 2014 I will have a new workshop or two to present for consideration in the following years.

So I am looking forward to just relaxing, attending classes, and hanging out with my magical family this coming year.  It's going to be a ball.  After last year, I do know now that I need to bring in my own food. I got pretty sick last year so no playing around this coming year.  Or I will need to research the restaurants in the area better to plan my meals.  When I made my reservation last year I did request the same room, it was an awesome room!

Sincerely,

Crystal

J is for Jewels of the Craft

This weeks post is with the letter J.  I have not been able to keep up with the amount of research I like to do for my food entries so my posts for the Pagan Blog Project will not be entirely focused on food how I had hoped.  I will still be posting some food entries, just not necessarily every week as I have not been able to put in the hours of researching the food items I originally had hoped to work and write about. 

This week I am writing about Jewels within the Craft.  These are the people that have influenced my life in one form or another.  Now my "jewels" may not necessarily be your jewels and that is quite ok.  What I value in a person may be different than your values.  Every person effects another in one way or another whether it be good or bad.  Each and every person we come into contact with on a daily basis influences us in our lives and how we live our lives.

Here is my current list of the top "jewels" in my treasure box of knowledge.  They are not listed in any particular order and I have chosen to associate them with a common list of precious jewels that some people might have in their jewelry box just for added fun.  Here goes:

First lets start with the Jewels I personally know, they are my truest of treasures and for that I want them to know how much I love, value, and cherish them!

The Gold - My Husband and Sons

They are the light of my life and reason for living.  My husband takes pride in telling me my weirdness is what he fell in love with and has always supported me about my difference in faith.  He has never told me to stop and encourages me to follow my dreams.  My boys are my sunshine and make me happy whenever I am said by attempting to tell me a joke or kiss and hug me so I feel better when I am not feeling good from my ongoing battle with Kidney disease.  They are the Gods I worship the most and could not live without.  They provide the light in my life, my protection, my home, and my happiness. 

The Diamond

My blood (biological) sister Annette.  We may have had a rough relationship growing up.  She is a few years older than I am and who would want a baby sister following them around, getting into their make-up and playing dress up in her expensive clothes, playing her albums, and just wanting to follow her every place including wanting to go on her dates. LOL  After I grew up and moved to Michigan the distance surely made our hearts grow fonder for one another.  It wasn't until a trip to Salem that made us not only know each other as sisters, but also bonded us together as friends.  Now we speak to one another on a daily basis whether or not it be via phone or internet. 

The Hematite

My Coven sister Katherine Ravenswood. She is the one person that keeps me grounded (in a good way of course, LOL).  She nurtures my soul, helps me manifest my dreams, but also knows when its for my own good to bring me back to the ground when I am really over exerting myself.  She helps me keep myself and my health in check as we are on a  journey together to become healthy and live a longer life.  She is my "Magical MacGuyver" and can manifest into physical form whatever crazy concoction of a magical project I devise. 

The Amethyst - Amethyst Cat

One of my first mentors when I moved here to the state of Michigan.  We actually met on the internet a group that provided online learning.  We had so many other ways to meet in person for instance, I shot billards with her sister in law every Sunday for over 5 years and I was her other sister in law's assistant as a business I used to work at for about three years as well.  But it took the internet for us to meet and build up the confidence and courage to meet each other in person.  Of course we hit it off and I consider her a Magical Sister and apart of my Magical Family!   Just like the stone Amethyst is a correspondence of a teacher of all things spiritual, mystic and psychic. 

The Citrine - Ibisfire

Ibisfire correspondes to the Citrine in my jewelry box by way of her talent for Creativity, her example of enjoying life and living it to its fullest.  Her generous soul and gives everything she possibly can to whatever she is doing at the time.  Her love of the theather sparking the muse of creativity.  Finally her general overall goodness that seeps out of her aura, heart and soul.  I met Ibisfire through Amethyst Cat and also consider her a Magical Sister and apart of my Magical Family.  She inspires me to do more with my life and do more for others.  You can always find her helping out at her local communities Theater group whether she is staring, directing, producing, costume making, or mentoring the children in playgroup.  She is a star in her own right and among the brightest and sparkling of my jewels.

The Lapis Lazuli - Dawn (photo below with The Pearl)

Dawn is my Coven Sister and apart of Magical Family.  She is my rock when it comes to truthfulness, openness, accessing my Inner Power, trusting my Intuition and inner power.  She is a sense of mystery and my favorite Gypsy of all!  She breathes self confidence and psychic ability.  She is my favorite and most talented Medium helping me talk to my spiritual guides when I need a boost in power.   She is a no-nonsense, tell it like it is Moma who protects "The Pearl" with every bone in her body and ounce of her being.  She is our Moma Bear to our Coven. 

The Pearl - Autumn (photo above with the Lapis Lazuli)

Just like a pearl she is our Maiden in our Coven.  Daugther of Dawn, she is not only our newest Coven sister, but also adopted neice by Magic is you will.  She represents all that is pure in the world thru the eyes of our Maiden.  Her innocence is represented by her youth.  We hope to guide her with integrity and provide her with the focus to do well in life and concentrate on her studies until she gradutates.  Even though she is young, I can sense an old soul within her being that will be able to provide much wisdom as she grows into a beautiful woman just like her mother.  She reminds me what it is like to be young and enjoy the simple things in life.  She has such a bright future and I am lucky to be apart of it.

The Peridot - Pilar

My Peridot is my Coven Sister Pilar.  She and I are so much alike its funny sometimes.  We also act very silly when we are together as well.  She and I share our love for Raw Food, Herbs, and alternate healing.  Just like the Peridot, Pilar represents Healing, Renewal, Purification and Rebirth.  When I am stressed out, she can say something to make me laugh and the world seems like a better place.  She relaxes me and also provides me with the vigor to live a better life by going as green as I can.  She is my "Smoothie Sis" and understands my challenges with food and health.  She is my aspiring Healer! 


Now for those I treasure in the Craft that I value just as much even though I might wear these jewels every day....these are more the "special jewels" that I don't get to interact with that often.  Those I learn from physically on a personal level while attending a workshop at a larger convention or event, or by reading their gifts of knowledge in the form of their writing whether it be from a blog, book, or magazine article.


The Ruby:  Dorothy Morrison

I first met Dorothy when I was pregnant with my first son so that would be back in 2003.  My friend Wayland invited me to dinner with him and Ravenmyst.  When I showed at the place he told me to meet him, low and behold Dorothy was there!  (Wayland knew I was a huge fan of hers and neglected to tell me why we were meeting for dinner.)  Many of the books I have read in the craft were written by Dorothy.  Her straight forward approach to the craft opened my eyes to alot of possibilities in Magic itself.  Among my favorite books she has produced are In Praise of the Crone and also Magical Needlework where I first learned about Cross-stitching spells.  She is the witch holding the Ruby Shoes indeed!  She is the owner of Wicked Witch Studios and also the Flying Monkey Express.  Just like the correspondence of a Ruby, Dorothy fosters integrity for owning your own magic.  The Courage to do what is in your heart and leadership ability and power in her workshops and presentations I have also attended at Convocation in the past years. 

The Moonstone - Selena Fox

PSG 2008 LtoR: Me, Annette, Selena, Kathy & Dawn

What can a person say about Selena?  She simply is a version of the Goddess! 
Selena fosters happiness wherever she goes.  She always has a smile on her face and is glowing with energy every single moment I have laid eyes upon her.    She is very nuturing and mothering in her manner hugging every person she comes into contact with during conventions and festivals.  She makes you feel as you are apart of her magical family as one of the main sayings I learned and felt during PSG is that of "WELCOME HOME".  Like the Moonstone with its Humanitarian properties Selena has accomplished many feats for Pagans when it comes to recognition for a Pagan Symbol being placed upon Veteran Stones, Interfaith relationships, and spiritual insight and training in her way of Leadership Intensives which I feel is important to anyone that considers themself a Pagan Clergy.  There is alot of knowledge in the groups I have attended and networked with that I have been able to learn from, make friends with, and help others grow in their quest for knowledge as well.  She treats everyone as her equal and also as a friend. 

I believe this was taken my first year presenting at Convocation 2008
LtoR:  Christopher Penczak, Michelle Belanger, T.Thorn Coyle and me.

The Jet - Christopher Penczak

Christopher is by far one of the few men that inspire me within the Craft.  Maybe I am drawn to him as a Taurus since his birthday is the day before mine.  Christopher holds many of the same properties I feel the stone Jet possesses. Not to mention whenever I think of Jet, the first thing I think of is the beautiful necklace he wears made of Amber and Jet. He is very courteous and confident.  He is optimistic.  From the lessons I have learned from him through his writings and workshops is that to be balanced by not only working with the light but also with one's Shadow self.  He is a person I consider a leader and encourages postive growth within yourself.  He has taught me balance in my life both magical and the mundane.

The Tiger's Eye - Michelle Belanger

Michelle is someone I look forward to learning from every year at Convocation.  She embodies the energy of both male and female.  She is strong and beautiful.  She has taught me what I have learned about psychic energy and working within the spirit of one's own personal energy.  She has taught me about personal empowerment.  She is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and a wealth of knowledge.  I aspire to hold myself with the grace, integritiy, courage and ability to see things for what they really are in both the magical world and the mundane.  She is also one of my favorite singers and a brilliant performer.




The Silver - Amber K

One of the highlights in my life was meeting Amber K.  The reason why she is so special to me is that her book True Magick was the very first book I bought when I began my studies into the craft over 20 years ago.  When I served in the US Army in my early twenties most of my fellow commards in arms kept a pocket bible, it was her book I kept in my right cargo pocket of my BDUs.  I have always felt a connection to her and also to the Moon.  This past year at Convocation I was able to meet her in person and attend a few of her workshops.  My friend and treasured jewel Cat (written about earlier) can contest to the fact that whenever I seen Amber for the first time I was speechless, which for me is something that seldomly happens! LOL 

Amber's energy is that of unconditional love and nurturing.  She appreciates nature and that shows throughout the training she offers at Ardantane which I hope to save money for and go study with for for a time whenever my schedule and health allows it.  She is my Silver as that precious metal is sacred to the Moon, just like I think she is sacred to the Moon. 

There are so many more precious jewels I would love to share with you, but I don't want to turn this into a book.  Maybe each month I will focus on writing about the ones I hold dear, sacred, and look to as special jewels.

Who are the "Jewels" you hold dear to your heart?

As I close this post, I am happy that I have so many treasures within my life.  Today I turn 39.  Each of these people have helped me become the Priestess I am today.  I am thankful to them for what they have taught me, shared with me, influenced me, and those I know that love me as much as I love them.  I am a very lucky girl!

Blessed Be,
Crystal T.

E is for Elder - Amber K

Now I normally write about food as I am researching how food effects us spiritually. 
These past few weeks my thoughts have been consumed with a Pagan gathering called ConVocation.

February is one of my favorite times of year, I get to meet with a large mass of Pagans under one roof, drumming, workshops, great conversations, fantastic rituals, and meet alot of people I normally would not be able to meet under the everyday mundane life circumstances.

This year was no exception.  When I first started in the craft I was just entering the stage of life becoming a young adult.  I was a teen like most people I know when they turned to the craft.  I was in the closet most of my teen years with few people knowing that were closest to me during that time.  I went on to graduate high school and then entered into the military (Army).  One of the few books I had with me while in service to the United States was a small green book.  While everyone I knew in the Army carried a small pocket bible in their cargo pocket, my "bible" was this small green book.

In my lifetime I have purchased two copies of this book.  The first was when I was in highschool learning about the craft.  The second copy was to replace my first copy while in the Army when it got drenched in a training drill during hurricane season.  I learned to carry my book in a ziploc bag after that incident.  When I purchased my second copy, I paid $4.95 plus tax for a brand new book....that goes to show how much inflation has gone up during the years. LOL 

From this book is where I built the foundation for how I practice the craft to this day. From Amber, I learned about setting up my first altar, working with energy, plus many other things!  This book is so important to me that I still have the second copy I purchased over two decades ago as well.  This year at ConVocation, the MEC provided me with the opportunity to meet someone I consider an Elder in my life and practice of the craft, Amber K.    For me an "Elder" is someone that is influential within your tribe or community. This person has an impact upon your life in a positive way.    That is definitely what Amber is to me.

I went to one of Amber's workshops with my friend AmethystCat.  Prior to the workshop we had a few minutes where I had the opportunity to go and ask Amber to sign my book.  I was too nervous to do so.  It's not that often I am at a loss for words...this was one of the few rare occassions where I became shy.  After her workshop, I finally built up enough courage to ask her to sign my book.  She was even kind enough to let me take a photo with her.

This day is definitely one of my magical highlights within my life.  It is one day that I will never forget.  To learn more about Amber, you can visit her website at http://www.ardantane.org/ .

Year of Cooking

Last year I seen a post about Naming the Year.  When I have a bit more time, I will repost the direct link to her site and what has inspired me.  (I have since found it and its Magical Mommy who provides me with continued inspiration.  Here you can find her 2010 update for this entry. ) http://magickalmommy.blogspot.com/2010/10/naming-your-year.html

This year I am dedicating myself to living frugally.    I have been so consuming in my life of materialistic things it needs to stop.  So everyday (hopefully) I will be writing about what is for dinner and how much it cost me to make it.  I want to focus on cooking for my family, providing them with nourishment as much as I possibly can.  I often think about trying to turn into a retro housewife.  I can remember growing up, my own mother cooked most of our meals and the house was spotless.  Always clean, always smelling wonderful. 

So my list of things to accomplish for 2011 are as follows:

Cook at least 5 dinners a week for my family, more so from scratch than convienence.
Have a patio garden containing at least one basil, tomato, and bell pepper plants.
Learn how to carve a chicken without tearing it to shreds.
Learn how to bake bread and make it from scratch at least once a week.
Eat more nourishing and organic foods whenever our pocketbook allows.
Research and possibly support a local CSA if our pocketbook allows.
Buy in bulk to save money in the long run.
Organize my pantry.
Let food not go too waste by it expiring.

Cheers to a new year and sucessful cooking adventures!

Blessed Be,
Crystal

Those that Inspire - Dorothy Morrison

Dorothy Morrison



The first book I read by her was titled In Praise of the Crone. When I first purchased the book, I originally thought it was about the Goddess's phase of being a Crone. Much to my belief, it was actually about women becoming a Crone. More "phase of life" if you will. I was in my twenties when I purchased this book, but it gave me a positive prospective of what is to come in the future. Now that I am in the "Mother" phase of my life, with a little more experience of what the Goddess has given me, I do look forward to becoming a Crone, though hopefully its still a far time away. Women in my family do however, experience the change very early on. Right now I am smack dab in the middle of my Mother phase of life.

Another book of her's that I read in the beginning was Magical Needlework introduced me to the craft. I am still a novice at the craft but I keep trying!

I was blessed to meet this wonderful lady on several occassions. My first encounter was while I was pregnant with my first child. I was invited by my friend Wayland to dinner one night with his "circle" of friends. He told me to meet him at a store we frequented called "Beyond the Rainforest". Much to my surprise when I walked in the door stood Mrs. Morrison. She was there for a book signing. Wayland introduced us and and she hugged me like I was her long lost friend. She rubbed my ever growing belly and gave me a quick blessing for a healthy delivery and we were on our way to dinner with the Ravens. That evening I was able to sit next to her and we found out that we both have a love of the hunt! She even told me how to measure myself for my first bow paying special attention to my reach by measuring from the "girls" to the ear which is different than measuring a bow for a man. After that first encounter I have had other encounters with attending Convocation in Troy, MI.

One of the things that Dorothy inspires me to do is be true to yourself. Don't rely on chance to manifest what you want or need in your life. Go forth and create it on your own. She's brutally honest which is a very nice surprise. Her no holds bar approach to magic is far from others that sugar coat it and say you should only use magic for the "nice stuff". I love her book "Utterly Wicked" and laughed out loud while reading it, thinking "Oh no she didn't!!! Oh yes she did!". She will tell you if she is not happy with something and what needs to be done to change it. She is also very gracious and kind. She is also human! Yep that is right. Many people will put their favorite authors on a pedistal (I'm guilty!!!!) and whenever they meet that author, their image of the person ceases to exist. Not with Dorothy. What you see is what you get, her vices of the need of caffiene and nicotine and all. She is a lovely person, and also someone I would never want to piss off. LOL.

Once again, she has inspired me to be myself when it comes to magic. Know what you want, and plan to manifest it yourself. Be true to yourself.

Thank you Dorothy for being a great lady, mentor of the hunt, and witch!

Much love,
Crystal

PS. By clicking on the title line, it should redirect you to her website.