Happy Ostara 2016

Dear Neophyte,

Happy Ostara everyone. Today is the first day of spring so throw down a picnic blanket, get some fresh flowers and drink some good wine in celebration!

Here are some pictures I pulled off google image search which captures what I like, love, and feel about this holy day.



You see a cute plate of chicks and I see food.  What I love about Ostara is that it means the delicious food is coming back!  All the fresh fruits and vegetables that aren't available during the colder months.  Putting it together on a cute plate it just bonus.



Today is a day to reaffirm our beliefs in our Gods, our way of life, and to reconnect with the changing seasons.  If you don't feel like a priestess of your Gods then the holy days are a time to make it right.



It's still chilly outside, but the Goddess of the Green is coming, already kissing the land awake in some areas.  Hail Ostara!



Music is always a big part of my holy day celebrations.  Here are a few Ostara songs that made it into my playlist this year:

Lisa Thiel - "Ostara (Spring Song)"

"Autumn in Asheville" by Emerald rose

Generic Ostara Music Combination

Decorations are of course important to every holy day.  In my house we change them out seasonally.  That is, four sets of decorations.  Some might think that's too much, but consider that we only decorate the living room by changing out the picture above the fireplace and some hangings on the wall.  It's not more than will fit in one rubbermaid tote and most of us have plenty of room for it in our garage or under the bed.  I go the extra step of also changing out my sheets and curtains to reflect the theme of the seasons.  The old stuff gets stored in the drawers of my 'captain's bed'.

Your inner light also gets honored at this time.  It's growing stronger and should be shared with the world.  This picture also represents the gardens all of us are planning, even if it's only in flower pots in the windows.  The third thing I love about this picture is that it her dress looks very comfortable.  Ostara is the day I begin packing away my winter clothing and bringing out my summer ware.  It's the time I also go through my winter clothing and either give away what I didn't wear that much, reuse the fabric to make something else, or repair it before stowing it away.  Trust me on that last bit: you do NOT want to pull a pair of pants out of storage and find out the front button STILL has not been replaced.

Lastly this is an inspiring and artistic season.  Paintings like this, utilizing symbology of your choice, would be easy to make even using crayons.  As mentioned earlier, the picture hanging over the fireplace gets changed every season and usually to one we've created ourselves.  I painted half the pictures in my house so I very much enjoy the process of creative expression through canvas and acrylic.  No, I didn't paint this one, but it really wouldn't be that difficult if I wanted too.  It's quite beautiful and peaceful. 

I'm so very glad I'm keeping diaries of all the things I do for the holy days.  It's helping me create my own traditions.  Find out what I did and didn't like and dig up deeper meanings in the symbols and acts.

It helps me actually be a Priestess of my Gods.

Salutations,

Sesh

Pagan Gift Giving

Dear Neophyte,

I don't know a person who doesn't like books.  This being said, I also don't know many people who aren't Pagan and don't want to add to their already considerable collection.  With this in mind I've decided to start a new tradition this year: giving books as gifts.  

This meme on facebook inspired the idea:

                                      

Now giving books is not exactly new to the whole Yule thing.  It's just not a special gift to get a book; it's one of the many, many ideas of possible gifts.  What's behind my idea of Yule book giving is to make it a special thing to receive a book.  

Of the three families I knew growing up each one of them had a tradition of giving out one gift on Christmas Eve.  Usually which gift gets to be opened is not selected by the opener, but by the giftee.  That is, it won't be the biggest and best of the gifts (which it would be if the gifted got to pick).  It's something small like a music CD, doll clothes for a doll they already have, or a set of napkin rings which would look good on the table the next day.  The gold jewelry and mongoose bike were the big gifts of the next day.  These gifts usually are enough to hold over the enthusiasm of the holiday participants and give them something to fiddle with between Yule Eve and Yule Day.

My idea is to replace these random gifts with a book which is actually chosen by the gifted, purchased by the giftee, and actually given to the gifted on Yule Eve.  They can then spend the time diving into a world of book rather than sweating the anticipation of having new things the next day.

While conservative Christians are taught that Christmas is not about the anticipation of gifts, that is just not how humans phychology works.  We want things to help ensure our survival and berating ourselves for anticipating having our very real physical needs met just seems anti-Spiritual to me.  I don't follow any logic that says you're not suppose to look forward to getting gifts on Christmas.  

That being said, Yule is different for Pagans the same way Christmas is suppose to be different for Christians.  Christians give each other illogical gifts from department stores and gift cards to places people wouldn't shop on their own.  I've noticed Pagans tend to give practical gifts like books on edible mushroom identification, knitted shawls, and pressure canners.  Things that are creative, immensely personal, and often hand made.  Oftentimes Pagans will exchange magical supplies and statuary.  Yule tends to have a heavily religious theme for Pagans whereas most who claim to be Christian don't even sing happy birthday to Jesus, let alone exchange images of Him for their altars.  Assuming they even have altars to their Gods.

Pagans are deeply spiritual and open with each other about our spirituality.  We care about and lean on each other's stories and information even if it's not from our God/desses.  We reach across the veils that separate the different pantheons and often reach out to each other's God/deses when reaching out to our Pagan friends.  For example I have three different deity images given to my by three different people, and they are currently on my altars.  I didn't have to put them there; they did seem to fit.  These people don't follow my pantheons and don't worship my deities; they saw something they thought I would like and got it for me.

Pagans are also extremely practical.  We're earth-centric, most of us, and understand that the limited resources of the Earth are being used up at an alarming rate.  To combat this most of  us are some kind of environmentalist and deeply care about our impact on the environment.  This directly correlates with how self-sufficient we become in order not lesson said impact on the environment.  Which leads to our love of giving and receiving practical non-dust-collecting gifts, handmade gifts, and books.

Things to consider for your Pagan friends:

Books, of course!

In Portland Oregon or Online

Such topics as Kemetic Paganism, Spellwork for Children, Kitchen Witchery, Book of Oven Dehydration, Seasonal Cookbooks, Gardening, Knitting, Home Disaster Preparation, Dog Training Manuals, Herbalism, etc.    

I deliberately did not post links to specific books.  Books are incredibly personal and there are so many out there that cover just aspects of a specific subject that it would do me no good to link you books which work for me (Women's Herbal Handbook) but may not work for you (if you're male).  

You want to avoid giving them a book on Yule Eve that goes along with a present they won't get until Yule Day.  If you get them a knitting book, but they don't own knitting supplies then that not only gives away what else you may have gotten them, but defeats the purpose of a book to hold them over till they got to open other gifts.  This is why I like the idea of letting the giftee pick out the book and tell you what they want (or give you a list such as provided above).  If you can't do that then use common sense.  The book should stand alone or compliment something (a dog?) which they already own and have access to.

Crafting Supplies

We LOVE arts and crafts!

Clay

They can make their own altar bowls, pentacle, jewelry, statuary, and more!

Craft Paper

My sister does watercolor and is perpetually out of paper.

Depending on what kind of crafting they do you could give them drawing paper, watercolor paper (pictured), cardstock, calligraphy paper, and on.

Fabric

The seamstress, Etsy owner, fabric hoarder in us all.

This works best when they are in love with a particular type of fabric (brocade is pictured) and don't mind getting random amounts of it, and they have the room to store fabric they are not currently using.

Knitting Looms

Expect to get a hat and scarf from this person on your birthday.

For Pagan children and adults who don't fancy moving yarn around with sticks.

Remember: When shopping for anyone who is crafty to focus on crafts you know they already love.  Try not to get someone started in a new craft if you don't know they've been wanting to do it for a long time.  This could mean wasted money for you and disappointment for them.  A safe bet would be to avoid things like Chinese Calligraphy Kits if you know they don't enjoy handwriting letters or even drawing.  Use your common sense!

Practical Gifts!

Pressure Canner

Taking kitchen witchery to the next level!

Owning a canner is like some sort of Pagan membership requirement.  If you know a Pagan who doesn't own a canner they must be new.  Help initiate them this Yule!

Recurve Bow

This image is Artemis approved.

Nothing says "I love you!" like dangerous weapons.  Better if they can bring down a deer and fold up for easy carrying in a tote case.

Non-GMO Seed Kit

Earth-centric religion followers are all about the heirloom seeds.

Practical sense indicates don't get your friend a selection of goard and corn seeds if they live on the second level of an appartment complex.  Stick with a variety of herbs instead.  I have purchased from this company and they are wonderful.

Soap Making Kit

The gift that keeps on giving.

Soap is a fun and personal gift, as a lot of people have skin allergies and you also need special equipment (not provided in kits) to cook it at home.  Make sure the person wants to make soap and is willing to forfeit a pan forever to use for just making soap.

Practical gifts means anything which will help make a person more self-sufficient and less dependent on "The System" to provide.  Pagans are each and every one practical people who go out of their way to develope skills to make life easier, simpler, slower, deeper and more fulfilling.  Being able to bring down a deer and then can the meat are two skills which make you independent.  To say the least these activities bring us i line with our Gods, who hunt and farm the land the same as us.

Handmade Gifts!

Recipe Box

Especially for folks finally in their own place.

Craft stores abound with wooden boxes.  You can varnish plain wood, or paint, burn or stamp designs on the outside.  A clear topcoat keeps the box looking nice.  Use blank index cards inside, print out your own, or buy special recipe cards.

Drop Spindle

Almost no chance of pricking a finger!

Craft stores sell wooden wagon wheels and wood dowels.  Most of them also sell hooks that screw into walls.  Glue the wheel in place 2" from the top of the dowel.  Screw the hook into the top.  Measure down 18" from the top and cut it off.  A kitchen knife can work for this as most dowel rods sold at craft stores are extremely soft wood.  Technically you're finished now.  You can paint, stain, varnish or oil the wood.  I sharpened the bottom tip of the one I made so it would spin on a chair easier.

Coloring Book

Any theme they enjoy will work.

Google search "Pagan coloring pages" (or any other theme).  Print them out.  Either put them in a binder or tie them together with ribbons.  Make a cover page and a back cover and you'r finished.  If they don't also cave pencils or markers you should provide some of those too.

Tea Blends

Tiny potion bottles of tea herbs.

Everyone I know owns a tea ball so I really love the idea of loose tea in small jars.  These jars are available from craft stores like Joann's and have cork tops.  Tea recipes are available online, or you can portion out some loose tea you already own.  

Religious Supplies

Selection of Herbs

For Magic, Cooking, Healing.

I love the idea of putting some of the herbs you already own into small glass jars, adding antiqued labels (instructions online) and giving them as gifts.  Don't forget to write the correspondences on the back of the bottle.  If you don't have enough to share you can order them online as sampler kits and transfer them to bottles when they arrive. 

Statuary

Go for authentic, not artistic.

Sexualized statues only venerate the divine as recipients of sex and so I really don't like these modern takes on statuary.  It seems almost all of the modern statues are huge-breasted, slim waist, rippling abdominal muscles, and violent.  As if the gods were never anything more than ideal beauty standard contest winners.  For that reason I would never give one of these statues as a gift unless the person said they wanted that one specifically.   Those images have places on altars while that particular aspect of a deity is being invoked, but not all the time.

Spell Kits

Purifying detox bath salts.

Is your friend going through a hard times?  Do they need money?  Do they need peace of mind?  Do they need serenity?  Make them a spell kit!  It's not hard to find the ingredients around your house and recipes online.  Bath salts are my number 1 make-ahead-spell-kit which has already been primed.  Breaking the seal activates the spell and your recipient just needs to pour and soak.  Other spell kits involve candles, cord, felt, and a variety of things.  You can get supply lists and ideas online.

Magazine Subscription

Circle Magazine

Pagan publications have been around for decades.  Some of them are a hundred or more years older at this point.  If your friend likes the idea of new ideas, networking, being able to unplug from the internet to read new information, and taking their reading with them (without buying a new book) then give them the gift of a Pagan Magazine subscription!  A goodle search pulls up half a dozen well-known and reputable publishers.  Be sure to get one that your friend would like even if it's not your own personal taste.

So there you have it.  My Pagan gift giving ideas.  I'm going to get a book for my sister for Yule Eve (a self-help book), and I'm almost done getting the rest.  What I really want to get her is an 18" doll and dress it up to look like Lagetha from Vikings.  I also want to get her a shirt that says, "The Gods Smile on Brave Women" that I saw on Etsy.  I'll probably just make the shirt, if I wind up having enough time and money to do that (along with everything else).  

She's getting me tea and dishes.  I <3 my practical, Pagan sister!

Salutations,

Sesh

Old Year's Dissolusions

Dear Neophyte,

I'm not sure what official names exist for the time between Samhain and Yule, where time does not exist.  We go into ourselves and become the fetus again, housed in our own wombs.  You shed and bleed and go underground to heal.  At Yule you become reborn and start the new year with a fresh face and a new outlook.

Some Pagans start this process at Yule and make it last a full 12 nights.  For me I start it at Samhain and give myself till Yule to finish it up.  I call this time of year the Old Year Dissolutions.  All last year we did a LOT of stuff.  It's also 2015 so there is no pretending that we don't all keep records of it everywhere.  We journal, or we picture or we facebook or something.  We do something by which we can look back on and say, 'Oh!  That's what I did!:D"

I went through my old diaries, through facebook, through my blogs, my dream journal, books of shadows (yes, more than 3), including the multitude of piled up to-do and to-done lists I have lying in the paper box in my closet.  I went through it all, pulling out the old and the new and everything in between and examined it.

What did I accomplish last year?  I wrote it down and praised myself.

What did I not accomplish last year?  I examined it and if it was still relevant I let go of the grief of not having done it yet and put it on a new to-do-list.

What did I let go of last year?  I said good-bye to old goals I no longer want to finish and thus released any guilt left with having not accomplished something I wanted to.  If it was something I still wanted to accomplish I put it on a 'to-get-to-at-some-point" list which will probably not see the light of day till next year.

What new thing do I want to accomplish?  I made a list of this year's new goals.  I researched how to write effective goal statements, followed the formula, and now have a list of what I want to do in the following year.

Where did I progress but not finish?  I added these to my new goals and prioritized them.  Working on them one at a time is much more energy efficient than trying to tackle them all at once.

For the goals I wish to accomplish I will add magic to the mix (if magic is applicable) and use the full moons and spellcraft to help draw them to me.

Also, I now own a gun.

Yep, you can reread that.  How is it relevant in any way, shape, form, or fashion?  Well I was writing down my goals from last year that I gave up on and let go of and one of them was owning a gun.  I just don't have the money for it and because I know my current financial situation dictates that I'll be tied up monetarily for at least a year it is also not a foreseeable goal either.  I was writing this down and looked over at my altar and though at the images of my gods, "You know, unless one of you wants to drop a gun in my lap which in such a way as to make it permanently mine and free." Less than week later my sister's exploded polycule fan whiplash lands a gun in my lap.

All I can really say is, "Thanks guys!"

The Old Year's Dissolutions are about wrapping up your unfinished affairs and carrying over your 'still working on it' projects to this year.  It's about finishing what you started.  New Year is a time for starting new things so that'll be a whole other post!

Salutations,
Sesh

It's DAESH, not ISIS

Dear Neophyte,

Ignorant people continue to vandalize businesses sporting the name of an Egyptian Goddess because the media is STILL using the wrong name to refer to a terrorist group. If you havn't heard by now, the group is called Daesh, NOT ISIS. Calling these terrorists a state (the second S in ISIS) is lending worldwide legitimacy to their acts of barbarism and brutality. I'm ashamed of anyone who keeps using the wrong name even when you know better.

News Story Here

To this point I am responding to EVERY meme I see using the incorrect term with "The name of the group is actually DAESH and calling them ISIS gives their terrorism political legitimacy.  By spreading around the name ISIS it's helping their cause."

So far one of my friends on facebook has completely stopped posting about Daesh since there are few memes which use the right name and he didn't even know that was that ISIS is the wrong name.

Salutations,
Sesh

Halfway to Atheism

Winterfest

Dear Blacky,

I like Joann's version of political correctness. "Winterfest" fabrics, because for most Christmas is not a holy day at all, but a secular holiday and excuse to buy things for loved ones.

Salutations,
Sesh

Samhain Year End Self Reflection and Meditation

Dear Neophyte,

This is my list of closing of the year mind, spirit, and life reflections.  (My list of external activities is another post.)  This time of the year is for shedding the old year, bad habits and relationships, and going to ground so you can heal your hurts.  You'll probably notice there are a lot of people around you going through profound lifestyle changes right now.  I certainly do.  

Like the Slain God we too go through a mock death and transformation.  At Mabon the God was slain and Chaos rules the earth.  In the eternal words of Eddard Stark: "Winter is coming."  Now winter is nigh upon us and the God has gone to ground literally buried in the womb of his lover-mother, who gives birth to him again at Yule.  Until then Chaos rules our lives and we too much go to ground, heal the wounds, grow as people, and get ready for the painfully glorious reentry into the world come Yule.  (Or sometime around Midwinter/End of Winter, since people are individuals and get through things on their own time.)

Personally I'm so overrun by people who are freaking out at losing their scales that they are inundating me with a list of woes every time I turn around.  I know a lot of people have Nature Deficit Disorder, but surely you must know that loss and growth are just a part of life.  Let hurts go.  Mourn.  Heal.  Recover.  There is a cycle to all this. Everyone before you has done it and all those to come will do it too.  We all come from the Goddess and to Her we all return, like the Slain God.

In order to close the year with introspection on all I've done, and look to the new year with a list of all I wish to do I made this list I plan to focus on from here to Yule. I am a goals and list oriented person so I have added ample reminders to journal and make lists.

Sign on the Door: "Therapist is Out.  Will return on Yule."

Meditations, Self-Reflections

1. Personality: Reflect on how far you have come this year as a person. What goals have you accomplished in your life and emotionally? What would you like to work on in the coming days? Make a plan of how you are going to use the new year's energy to empower you for positive change.
2. Book of Shadows: Look back over what you added to your BoS. What kind of spiritual milestones did you reach this year? Make some notes about what you have learned and chart your progress. Which spiritual milestones do you still need to work on? Make some notes on what you need to bone up on more in the coming year. This is the time of year to figure out what spiritual work you need to focus on for the coming year, as well as make a plan for progress.
3. Journals: Revisit diaries, blogs, photographs. Get nostalgic. Now is a good time to scrapbook your year's worth of stuff. Get your blog updated. What challenges have you faced and overcome this year? What is left to learn? Record your progress.
4. Dream Diary: Cross-reference your dream journal with your diary. Did you interpret your dreams correctly? What new information, meanings and symbols do you have to add to your dream dictionary?
5. Facebook: Now is a good time to look back over facebook and remove negative posts, comments, and memes. You really don't want them hanging around the internet for all of eternity. It sends negativity your way every time someone reads them. Leave the positive posts for the positive influences.
6. Old Goals: What goals do you have which are not finished yet? How far along are you? Chart your progress and see where you are and make or renew your plan to see it through. Now is a time to put some magic into the process.
7. Unattainable Goals: What goals were not completed this year? What did you give up on? What needs to be let go of? Let go of it. Admit it's not for you and move on. Maybe burn the goal in the fireplace to release the energy out into the universe. That energy is best spent putting towards something you can obtain.
8. New Goals: What new goals do you want to shoot for this year? Research realistic goal setting and make 5 realistic goals to reach this year. One spiritual, one selfish, one health, one monetary, one adult.
9. Projects-in-Progress: What unfinished projects do you have in progress? What debts are left unpaid? What crafts are half-done? What closet needs to be de-cluttered? Which bag of donations have been sitting in the truck for a month? What car repairs need to be made? What dental visit needs to be planned? Make plans to finish your unfinished projects. You have till December 22 to get them done. Don't drag old energy into the new year! Projects which are not even started yet can be ritualistically boxed up cleansed of all the old year's energy. They can then be opened again at Yule (or whenever you get to them) as 'new' projects, without the guilt associated with something you 'planned' to do and 'didn't get to it'. If you actively shelve it then you are not ignoring it!
10. Samhain Yearly Records: Make records of your Samhain celebrations. Scrapbook the pictures. Write down your rituals, feast, offerings, and especially your emotions and dreams which came afterward.
11. Spirit Guide: If you are Shaman this is the best time of the year to journey to meet or re-meet your spirit guides. If you already have guides then look back over your notes to see how they have helped you, or remember what they taught you this last year. Note which aspects of Them you worked with last year and how it helped you. Note which aspects of Them are showing up to help you this year, and plan to work more with Them on aspects of yourself. You can journey to hang out with them or give them some offerings after the original feast. Your ancestors are also spirit guides, so you can also journey to them so they can pass any messages along. Record the journey results and how you plan to apply your knew knowledge.
12. Nature Walk: Take a meditative walk outdoors. Open your senses and spirit to the changes of the season. Feel the flow of life, the stillness of the earth, and cycle of death into life. Try to fathom your significance in the world, where you are in the Cycle, and how vast the world is. You might bring and offering to leave to the spirit of a particular place who shares with you. Record what you see and find. You can take a drawing pad with you, or a camera, and capture what you see. Be sure to write what you sense as well which is not captured via imagery.

Salutation,

Sesh