Lughnasadh

I should have written about this earlier, but I'm writing it now, so it's not a huge loss.

This Lughnasadh was very lovely! My sister, Noga, spent the night at my house. We sang together by the creek and went for a long walk on some trails. For dinner, we had foods that are associated with our first harvest, such as cornbread.
It had been a while since I'd last seen my younger sister, so spending time with her was so nice. It was also the first sabbat I'd actually celebrated with a pagan sister! As time goes on, I'm hoping that my sisters and I will be able to celebrate all the sabbats together.

How was your Lughnasadh, everyone?

Sabbats by Edain McCoy

So I work at a large-chain bookstore part-time and I'm able to check books out like at the library. I checked out Sabbats by Edain McCoy one day. I'm not a huge McCoy fan, but I liked what I saw as far as recipes and craft ideas in the book. My gods! I loved the book and had to buy it! It has so much good history and so many recipes and crafts in it. I checked quite a bit of the history online from different sources and most of it seems pretty accurate. There are rituals and guided meditations inside, as well, though I'm not much into those. I create my own rituals, instead....
Anyway, I really recommend this book if you're looking for good ideas for celebrating the sabbats each year.

Blessings to all.

Zahra

Summer Solstice

Greetings everyone! I see we have a few more followers to the blog - Welcome!
I know it's been a while and it probably will be a while after this post before I write another one, so I won't mention time again. It gets redundant and having no time to write is the way of this world these days....
My summer solstice was a bit of a hard one, as it was the last day I saw a dear friend of mine before he left to join the Navy. I wouldn't say that I celebrated, though I wouldn't say it was a bad day, either. I learned a lot and every day, be it hard or happy, changes me. Unfortunately, I didn't shield very well and so every emotion that others felt hit me hard. I, of course, was clueless until later when I realized what was going on, and was wondering why I was feeling such strong dread and depression that day. I knew it couldn't have been my own emotion and it wasn't.
I know from experience that the Sabbats open me up to different perceptions and things, so next time I'm sure I'll be aware enough to shield and know the difference between what is happening inside me and what is happening inside others.
So this Solstice really was a blessing, even if it didn't feel very good at the time.

How was your Summer Solstice, everyone?

As far as other things go, I've been super busy working two jobs, and that is the main reason I have not been able to write on my blogs. Soon I'm looking to get internet at home again, so I'll have more time after work to relax and write before bed (I usually have to go to the library to get online).

I hope all is well with all of you.
Lots of love and love you lots.

Beltane

Dear me, so much for not disappearing in the blog-world! So sorry....
So May 1st was Beltane, as I'm sure all of you know. Because it was also the birthday of one of my siblings, and because the grass is green (ahh, lovely), I wanted to have a special celebration.
I took my time with all that I did, and yet, I accomplished so much and felt so wonderful....
I went and spoke with one of my employers about my summer job-to-be. I went to the gas station for a few more things for the celebration. I crocheted (Oh yes, and I learned to crochet the week before from a book) some ribbon together in a circle and took it to the park. Then I stuck grasses and dandelions and twigs in it to make a small door wreath. I also found a lovely blackbird's feather and a pinecone, which I attached. I baked a lemon cake with lemon cream cheese frosting. I started a bonfire in our firepit. I did the dishes, cleaned the bathroom and my bedroom, all the while playing with the puppy.
Ohh, it was such a beautiful day! So peaceful! It was a little chilly outside, but it didn't affect me any.
My brother got home from work and we had hotdogs over the fire, salad, chips and salsa, cake. We played with the puppy more.
I went to bed peaceful. Thank the gods and goddesses for the most perfect Beltane I've ever experienced. Thank the faeries and wandering spirits for their most sweet attitude toward me and mine.

I hope you all had a lovely Beltane, as well. Hugs to the world!

Long Time....

I know, I know! I haven't written for a long time, but (here come the lame excuses) I haven't had internet so I have to go to the library to get online and I keep forgetting and ... stuff....
Hush, I'm back. Mostly.
In witchy news, one of my sisters has decided to become a witch! After over a year of debating, she finally (happily, I might add) became a Christian witch. Her name, Neviah, is Hebrew for 'Prophetess'. That should tell you quite a bit about her. Mayhap I can get her to write here, as well!
I finally was able to go on a Sunday hike with Witch-N-Bitch last weekend, which was very lovely. I was so determined to go to class the following Tuesday, but forgot until 10pm when it was over. Buggrit! Next time, I hope!
That is about all that is new in my witchy world right now. What about all of you?

Marriage

Kahlil Gibran (I’ll probably post something of Gibran’s with each opinion. It just … fits.):

“THEN Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage, master?
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.”

Basically, I think that marriage (with signed legal documents and everything) is pure silliness. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t celebrate your love for one another; don't get me wrong. If I was with someone, I would probably have a ‘wedding’ or celebration for each season that we were together. Autumn would have changing leaves and lots of autumn colours and pumpkin pies and such, Winter would have sleigh rides and white snowy outfits, etc.
But making it a bound contract to stay with someone makes no sense to me. Love is constant, but compatibility never could be. You may love someone your entire life, yet be unable to handle living with them or being together constantly. It is the same with relationships. You can easily love someone, be with someone, but you can’t own them. You can’t make them be with you and with no one else. That is just ridiculous.
If you want to know more about how I feel with relationships and such, read Being In Love by Osho. That is all.

Opinions on Love

Kahlil Gibran, “THEN said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you, believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.”

Our family values, “Love yourself so you can love others. Love everything. Love everyone. Love everything in everyone. Love Love, Love Hate.”

People ask, What is Love? And it can’t be defined. It is inside you, it is not outside you. Love isn’t in actions or words, Love is only within you. You feel it at certain times, you don’t at others. There is nothing you can say or do to change that. Love is Love.