Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Hail to the Moon

There was a beautiful full moon last night and I was quite struck by how it effected me. My journey with the black dog has been irritatingly consistent of late and as a result I have been tired and unmotivated a lot of the time. But last night, after dinner, I went out and gazed at the moon. After that I came inside, finished a small painting, did some drawing, started reading a new book, listened to some music...no slumping in front of the tv for me! I even remembered to put the stones I am going to make into rune stones outside to drink in some lunar goodness.

This clip is of the very talented Wendy Rule singing "Hail to the Moon". It is not the best quality and the backdrop of stacked chairs leaves a little something to be desired but it is my very favourite 'moon' song. Check out the version on Wendy's World Between Worlds CD if you can.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Incense II


Image from Google Images


A bit more on incense making today. These recipes are for incense cones which need to be burnt in an incense holder.



This a Briar Card image of the Archangel Michael


The Sword of Michael - for endings and releases

1 and a half teaspoons of Slippery Elm powder

Three quarters of a teaspoon if Sandalwood powder

One eighth of a teaspoon of Dragon's Blood

8 drops Clove Oil

Combine with 2-3 teaspoons of Fire & Water Blend, which is -

One quarter of a teaspoon of Salt Peter

8 teaspoons of liquid (hot water or floral waters)


2. Knowledge Blend

One half teaspoon of Thyme powder

Three quarters teaspoon of Basil powder

One and one quarter teaspoon Sandalwood powder

One eighth Benzoin gum

9 drops Rosemary oil

6 drops Peppermint oil

Combine with 2-3 teaspoons of Fire & Water blend.


Each mixture should provide you with 2 -3 cones which you shape by hand. Once you have combined the dry ingredients in your mortar and pestle, it is easier to mix them with the wet ingredients in a small bowl with a spoon. Obviously, use a mortar and pestle, bowl and spoon which you don't intend to use again for food preparation because some of the ingredients are not be consumed. It is important to visualise your intent while you are making and burning the cones. You will also probably need to find a good magical supplier to find all of these ingredients. If you would like to know the details of where I took the workshop (and where they sell all of the ingredients online), leave a comment and I'll email you.

Friday, March 26, 2010

I did inhale


Nothing like learning a new skill to give you a bit of a buzz. Last night I went to an incense making workshop at our local esoteric bookshop. I have burnt incense sticks for years because I am a very firm believer in the role of scent in contributing to an atmosphere. I realise now that up until now I really haven't lived! - I will be able to create much richer and more evocative fragrances by making my own. Over two hours, we made four sets of incense cones and one lot of loose incense to burn on charcoal discs. The best snap I could take was of the loose incense. The cones just ended up looking like animal droppings or illegal substances and given the wonderful aroma they have filled the house with already (they haven't even been lit!), taking unappealling photographs of them just didn't seem quite fair! So here is the recipe for the loose incense if you are so inclined:

2 teaspoons of dried jasmine flowers

2 teaspoons of hyssop

3 teaspoons of frankincence

18 drops of jasmine fragrant oil

Grind up the dry ingredients with a mortar and pestle before stirring through the oil. This blend is for aura cleansing and revitalising. It is to be burnt over charcoal discs. It smells sooooo good!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Wishes


Image from blog.beliefnet.com


Wishing you happiness and peace wherever you are~
be it celebrating the arrival of Spring or the arrival of Autumn...
Let's give thanks as the Wheel of the Year turns once more.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Cold, this misty night...

Some wonderful atmospheric music to finish off the week. This is one of my favourites from Hagalaz Runedance. The medieval-sounding instruments are so evocative and just what I want to hear right now as I think about taking up learning Medieval pieces on the recorder. Then there is Nebelhexe's (Andrea Haugen) haunting voice. Enjoy!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

In print!

One of my photos used in the article.

I am delighted to announce that my dear spiritual sister Bodecea (http://bodecea.blogspot.com/) and I have written an article for the Australian magazine The Spirit Guide to Spellcraft (http://www.spellcraft.com.au/) and that I have just received my copy! It looks great, I have to say - I am really pleased with it. We have written about Northern magic traditions from the perspectives of one of us being in the Northern Hemisphere and one of us in the South so it is really in a lot of ways about the complexities of having an interest in a religion which is spiritually very connected to a particular place. That is, what do I draw on imaginatively when I am surrounded not by the fir trees of a European forest but by Australian gum trees? A perennial question in Pagan circles!
Thank you Bodecea for sharing your knowledge with me so that we could put this article together.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Just a thank you


Here's a little ethical question for you. I would love to know what you think. I have been following a locally-drawn cartoon in the newspaper for months now - I love it. Before Christmas, I contacted the cartoonist with an idea of a cartoon. I heard nothing back. Fair enough, I thought, he's not interested. That's his perogative. He's the artist, afterall. It's his cartoon strip. But a couple of weeks ago, I saw the cartoon in the paper. He'd drawn it, using my text almost word for word. But still no emails from him. Just a 'thank you' would have sufficed. As my grandma would have said...courtesy costs nothing!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Things that make me happy Nr. 4 - Painting



I am loving painting at the moment, as I think I may've also mentioned earlier. I don't imagine myself to be anything like an artistic genius or even an artist. I just love getting paint on canvas and expressing something. Unfortunately, with my camera woes, the brilliant blue of my triple goddess has not come out and my moon was photographed with my phone! Oh well, camera shopping on the weekend...
Wishing you happy days and fair weather until Monday.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Things that make me happy Nr. 3 - Candlelight


{Photographed last night as I quietly read on the couch. Instant atmosphere. }

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

More Moro...please

But I can't be too good in my eating habits...for every piece of fruit lately (see the corresponding http://inayellow-wood.blogspot.com/ list), I have been equally addicted to these little Moro bars, recently discovered at our local supermarket. Do they have them anywhere else, I wonder? Not quite the size of a regular chocolate bar - more a two-small-bites size - they are just enough to proffer as a satisfying offering to the Sugar Gods. Or me.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A week of happiness






My good blogging friend Diana over at Sun over Stonehenge (http://kennedy-white-house.blogspot.com/) has very kindly given me an award! Thank you Diana :) As a part of receiving it, I am to share with you ten things that make me happy. But I'm going to play it a little differently and tell you five things each here and over at http://inayellow-wood.blogspot.com/ (which means each set of five could have quite a different flavour!) and I'm going to space my list out over the week too.


So today I give you...the quiet pleasure of sometimes being just a little miserable. It may sound a bit mad, but I must admit I've sometimes done it. Those moments when you don't want to feel better, don't want to put a brave face on it, don't want to make the best of it...just want to be miserable. And who else to be miserable with than the divine Mozza?

Friday, March 5, 2010

Nerthus

Nicanthiel Hrafnhild, Boar, Birch and Bog from www.gullinburstipress.com




Painting from http://www.jok-design.de/


I have lately been reading about the Norse goddess Nerthus, of the Vanir pantheon. Goddess of fertility and the earth but also peace. She represents something of a Gaia figure, I think. Does anyone else know anything about her? I love the painting of her above - it exudes such calm and quiet strength. I have just ordered Boar, Birch & Bog - Prayers to Nerthus by Nicanthiel Hrafnhild. Looks really interesting. I am so enjoying this spiritual path I'm on right now - whole worlds are opening up.
Enjoy your weekend.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Requiem

I have to say as much as there's a lot of dross on tv, our 'multicultural' station here (that is how it's pitched) - SBS - does serve up some good stuff which we would otherwise not see. I saw "Requiem" on Saturday night and it was brilliant. A typical case of flicking on to something and not really knowing anything about it, I quickly became engrossed in this tale of a girl starting at university in the early 70s who is at first thought to be epileptic, then mentally ill. The conclusion that is finally reached by both her and her staunchly Catholic family is that she is possessed by demons. It is beautifully acted - lead Sandra Hueller is a particular stand out - perfectly capturing the clash of emotions inherent in mental illness: overwhelming torment and angst, brief glittering moments of pure happiness when one is 'free' of it for a time and the on-going act of trying to look 'normal'. It seemed to me that her character was suffering from either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder - there seemed to be symptoms of both but I am no psychiatrist - which could have been treated. But all along certain decisions are made - she washes her pills down the sink, her boyfriend takes her to her parents' home rather than to a psychiatric hospital when she finally collapses - so that the 'diagnosis' of possession and the closing in of the claustrophobic little world of her family and her village can begin in earnest to bury her alive.