Full Moon and Courage

The full moon has come.  I did not do a Full Moon rite but I did put together a spell.  I found out that my local health food store has lots of herbs, oils and other that I can get supplies.  I was missing a key ingredient for the spell I was trying to accomplish and in the end found the substitute.

I have recently picked up two new non-witchy herbal books.  The Herb Bible and Growing Your Own Drugs.  The thought of being able to do magic and mundane with herbs is fascinating.  So I fully intend to explore both sides.  I received a wonderful blank journal from a witchy friend that I am using to store found and created herbal recipes.

In other news, I have been listening to New World Witchery and have heard of some really great ideas that I'd like to further investigate.  Hoodoo being one of them.  The same witchy friend sent me a Hoodoo Courage candle and on the outside of it has a wonderful courage pray to Joan of Arc.  I have certainly needed all the courage I could get in more than one aspect of my life lately.  I have needed the courage to continue going into work and dealing with a hateful supervisor, I have needed courage to look inside, see the darkness, turn on the lights and face whatever is laying there.

I am still standing at the top of the stairs for now but I will make my away.  I hope all of you had a blessed Full Moon.  Don't forget that Imbolc is coming up. Quickly.  On top of doing my research for my paper I will also be doing research to hold a small rite on Imbolc.  Wish me luck!

Until Next Time! Blessed Be!
~Kyttin

Sickly Slacker

I have been doing my "Do the Stuff" challenge but I just haven't taken any time to write about it.  I was not able to do a "big" ritual or rite on Yule, but I did stop for a few moments and honor the return of the light.  The rest of the night I spent curled up with a little girl that wasn't feeling the greatest.

I was at my mom's the night of the Full Moon.  She has this great beautiful 1/2 wall of windows that the moonlight just poured into.  I sat in front of that window, after all the occupants of the house had snuggled in for bed, with my new rocks and did a simple rite to push negativity away from me and draw in the good things.  I then left the stones to charge in the window over night.  It was beautiful!  The moonlight was bouncing off the snow, it was quiet in the house, and the energy just flowed.

Tonight is the New Moon and it sneaked up on me to be honest.  Three of the five people in my house have been sick with a nasty chest cold and now myself and the other non-effected have begun to show signs of a an impeding sickness.  Le sigh.  So, this evening I will be refraining from any rites and going to bed as soon as the bratlings have been tucked in and kissed goodnight.

Though I may be refraining from a rite tonight I have not been slacking.  I have a few spells I have been working on, as well as clear space to re-setup my alter, working on plans for an herb cabinet, getting ready for classes to start, catching up on Lost Girl, snuggling and cuddling the kids, and many other parent related things.  No wonder I've begun to feel sick!  Oh and started physical therapy whee!

One of the spells I have been working on is a Hotfoot spell.  I have a problem at work that is hateful and rude and I am not going to let it run me out of a job that I actually enjoy.  As I was putting the ingredients together in my head I kept coming up against a wall as to what type of container I should use.  Then tonight I had a TA DA! moment.  I had saved quite a few baby food jars and the little level one jars would be perfect to hold all the ingredients I will be using.  Now, I just need a trip to a printer and a graveyard.

Alright it is time to corral these children and get them started on their bedtime routine.

Blessed Be!

Kyttin

PS.  I have been also catching up on podcasts and have come across some great ideas that I would like to share and perhaps incorporate into my own practice.  Until next time!

The (lack of) Holiday Spirit!

Every year when Halloween draws near I become this giddy annoyingly happy person.  It's the beginning of the holiday season!  However, by December 1, I could be considered the Grinch's cousin. (Twice removed).  This year I thought for sure I had broken that.  I made it to the first and was excited about getting the Yule/ Christmas tree up.  Most of the presents had been bought, I had brand new beautiful wrapping paper, and all was well.

Or not.

Due to very stressful circumstances at work and a few at home all my spirit seems to have run off on me.  I had grand plans to have the tree up and decorated the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Just this past week has the tree even been pulled out of storage and finally assembled.  Mind you it is not fluffed nor decorated but it is at least up.  Still I feel rather Scrooge-ish and just want to tear it back down, put it away, and hide my head in the sand until December 26th.

This lack of spirit seems to be putting a damper on my wanting to start my "Do the Stuff" challenge.  I have not done any research for my Yule ritual.  It is not called a challenge for nothing so I will push through.  I am done with classes for a month so perhaps one less stress will free up some space to allow the spirit to come back to me.

I am a sensitive creature.  As much as I like to pretend I am not, I will have to admit I am.  The bad kind of stress really wears on me.  I am working to resolve it at work, and now I need to work on it here at home also.  This season is supposed to be one of joy, laughter, for the mundane to really believe in magic, and for the witches to harness that magic and make it apart of us.  The mundane parts of life can get in the way but we witches need to remember that we don't have to let it take over.  I have been letting it take over.

I will do my Yule ritual and I will continue headstrong into my "Do the  Stuff" challenge.  I will stand up and not let those negative things strip me of my holiday cheer.  I am a witch and I can harness the energy around to aid me in my journey.

Remember witches, we have the power to change things for us.  Some times we may need to tap into a little extra to give us the push we need, but we have the ability to do it.  Use it.

This has been a great release and a wonderful pep talk!  Now I am off to finish decorating this damn Yule tree tonight!

Blessings and Love,
Kyttin

Sunshine and wine!

As an early Christmas present, I got tickets to a wine trail near my home town for my dad and I.  I woke up with it raining and dreary.  Most winery's are outside and that just wasn't going to be okay! I put out a call for quick weather magic help.  I was rushing to get ready and all I could think of was "Rain, rain go away..."

Fire Lyte over at Incitingariot.com came to my rescue. (Thanks!)  He suggested sunstone, seashell, candle and a quartz stone.  My library of stones is woefully small.  I only had the quartz crystal and the candle on hand.  So I decided to improvise with orange and yellow crayons to draw the symbolism that I was wanting.  I did the spell and hopped into the shower.

Well it sort of worked, for a little bit.  The sun was trying to peak through the clouds.  I do have to say it did not rain anymore and it didn't start to chill until later in the afternoon, but the sun was only able to peak from behind the clouds for a little bit.  I am thinking next time, if I don't have the sunstone, I can use my Sun card from one of my tarot decks and not rush through it like I did this last one.

Thoughts to remember!

Now on to the wine!  Like I said I purchased tickets to a wine trail as a Christmas present for my dad.  It was a Cheese and Wine trail through seven wineries in the Hermann area.  It was amazing.  Some of the cheese and wine pairings were so unique and delicious.  My favorite foods were the cheese crepe covered with an artichoke sauce and the strawberry and cream cheese croissant.   My favorite wines that were with the pairings was the mulled raspberry wine and the strawberry wine. My favorite wines not with the pairings was the Frosty Meadow White and the Sweet Ambrosia. Last but not least my favorite pairing was the strawberry wine and strawberry and cream cheese croissant.  I am very much looking forward to having this as a new tradition for my dad and I.  

I love that Hermann has five different wine trails through out the year.  Dad and I are already talking about hitting up the Berries & BarBQ Wine Trail in July.  If you are in Missouri check out Mo.gov and find a wine trail near you!  If you aren't in Missouri check out your states government website and see what is out there.

Even with a semi-failed spell the day was wonderful!  The wineries were gorgeous and I bet in the Spring they would be a stunning sight.  

Blessings until next time!

~Kyttin

A new beginning and cravings of the soul

It's that time of year where the days will soon become longer. The time of new beginnings and starting over. That includes redoing my blog and I plan to start  a "Do the Stuff" challenge.  I have recently gotten caught up with the Inciting a Brewhaha podcast and really dug the "Do the Stuff" challenge Velma and Fire Lyte talked about.  So, I went peeking around Fire Lyte's blog and was even more inspired to try this for myself.  I have been bogged down with the craving for more.  More spirituality, more insightful conversations, more from myself.  Just MORE!  I will soon be 30 and I am ready to shed the old me and step into a new, more motivated me.  What better way than to challenge myself to DO it?

My "Do the Stuff" challenge will be two-fold.  I plan to really embrace my spirituality.  I have been trying for a few years to really get on track and, while I have done more in the past couple of years, I am no where near where I wish to be.  So, my spirituality part will be to:

• Do the rituals for Sabbats and Esbets that resonate with me ( This means research!)
• Decorate for the Sabbats
• Continue with my Alphabet Project (inspired by Velma)
• Do weekly spells
• Do weekly tarot work

The second part will be for my family.  I want to do more with my children.  I am thinking these are some areas I plan to focus on:

• 1 on 1 with Mom for all 3 kids
• Bake/Make things
• Bedtime stories
• Board game nights
• Include the kids in some of my Spirituality challenges.

I will begin my "Do the Stuff" challenge on Yule and will continue until Midsummer.  Part of a side thing for the "Do the Stuff" is to try and share with you all about my journey. My main goal is to at least post my findings from the Sabbat rituals and my spells.

On another note.  As I have said I have gotten caught up with Inciting a Brewhaha and listening to Velma and Fire Lyte and their guests have made me crave theological conversations.  I threw out a line to my girls and asked if they wanted to sit down and have a theological conversation over dinner and drinks.  I got a few positive responses and I am excited to try and find time to 1) have some needed girl time and 2) have an engaging discussion.  My husband is not one to talk about "religion" so while we can have interesting conversations that is one topic that "is mine".  He states he is fine with me doing my witchy stuff and to just let him know so he doesn't interrupt but it is frustrating that I can't go "Oh! guess what just happened?" 

So if anyone out there is looking for a discussion partner you can contact me here or @Kyttin on twitter.

Blessings

~Kyttin