How dark is your dark goddess?

In every mythology there is a "dark goddess". But how "dark" are these goddesses?

Nuit, Mother Sky-Goddess and Goddess of the Starry Sky

Nuit (also called Nut, Nwt, or Neuth) is the ancient Egyptian sky-goddess. Nuit is the consort and twin sister of Geb. She is the mother of the major Egyptian deities Osiris, Isis, Seth (Set), Nephthys, and sometimes Haroeris.
Nuit is the personification of the sky and of the heavens, especially the starry sky of nighttime which all people can look up into and see eternity. It is said that She swallows the stars every morning and then gives birth to them later into the night sky. As sky-goddess Nuit is portrayed either as a cow or as a naked woman covered with painted golden stars with 5 points who wears on Her head a vase of water. Many times She is shown as a woman whose hands and feet touch the ground so that her body forms a semi-circle. Her hands and feet each touched one of the four cardinal points or directions and the arc of Her body represents the arc of heaven and the stars of the Milky Way. Her arms and legs represent the four pillars on which the sky rests. She is held up by Her father Shu (the God of the air). Her husband Geb lies on the ground reclining on one elbow and His knees in the air. In this position He depicts the hills and valleys of the land. It was said that when Shu raised Nuit (the sky) above Geb (the earth) He brought an end to chaos and if He ever left this position, chaos would return.

Nyx, Goddess of the Night

 

Nyx is pivotal in the creation myth of the theology of the Orphic-Dionysic Mysteries. The ancients believed that before the universe was created there existed only a void of chaos that was black and silent. From this chaos rose the first deity, Nyx, also called Mother Night. She is said to have been in the form of a great black winged spirit. Nyx then conceived of the wind and laid a silver egg in the darkness. The upper part of the egg was the sky and the lower section was the earth.

The Moirae, also known as the Fates

 

The Greek Goddess of Fate is a daughter of Nyx, Goddess of the Night. In Her singular form, the Goddess of Fate is called Moira; and in Her triple form She becomes three sisters known as the Moirae. The Moirae are: Klotho the Spinner, who spins the thread of a person’s life; Lachesis the Measurer, who decides how much time is to be allowed each person, and Atropos the Cutter, who cuts the thread when you are supposed to die. The name ‘Moira’ actually means ‘part’ and in fact, the triple form of the Fates mimics the triple moon phases and the three phases of life – maiden, mother and crone. Moira is known to the Romans as Fortuna, to the Scandinavians as Norns, to the Anglo-Saxons as Wyrd, and to the Celts as Morrigan. During the middle ages, the Fates became known as the Parcae.

As the spinner of Fate, Moira spins out the days of our lives as yarn and weaves it into a tapestry. The length of the yarn – hence your life span – is decided solely by the Goddess of Fate. All the Gods are subject to the whims of the Fates as are mortal man. Because of this, even though the other Gods are almighty, and supposedly immortal, even Hera has reason to fear Moira. Moira’s function is to see that the natural order of things is respected and She possesses the gift of prophecy – Her priests and priestesses are always oracles or soothsayers (seers of the future). Moira is often accompanied by the Keres (Dogs of Hades), who are three beings with sharp teeth and who are robed in red. In ancient times, the Fates were honored by sacrifices of honey and flowers.

Kali, The Black One

 

Kali (“the black one”) is the Hindu mother goddess, symbol of dissolution and destruction. She destroys ignorance, maintains the world order, and blesses and frees those who strive for the knowledge of God. In the Vedas, the name is associated with Agni, the god of fire, who had seven flickering tongues of flame, of which Kali is seen as the black, horrible tongue. This meaning of the word has meanwhile been replaced by the goddess Kali, the grim consort of Shiva.
Her appearance is fearsome: baleful eyes, a protruding tongue, and four arms. In Her upper left hand She wields a bloody sword and in Her lower left hand She holds the severed head of a demon. With Her upper right hand She makes the gesture of fearlessness, while the lower right hand confers benefits. Draped around Her is a chain of severed human heads and She wears a belt made of dismembered arms. As the Divine Mother, She is often represented dancing or in sexual union with Shiva. As Bhavatarini, the redeemer of the universe, She stands upon the supine form of Her spouse.
She is also known as Kalikamata (“black earth-mother”) and Kalaratri (“black night”). Among the Tamils She is known as Kottavei. Kali is worshipped particularly in Bengal. Her best known temples are in Kalighat and Dakshineshvara.

Variations on the name Kali for female divinity can be found in many ancient cultures outside India, which suggests that in the distant past a common or related matriarchal religion pervaded much of the world. For example, in pre-historic Ireland people worshipped a powerful goddess known as Kele (Her priestesses were known as Kelles), in ancient Finland there was the all-powerful Goddess Kal-ma, in the Sinai region of the Middle East there was the Goddess Kalu, and in ancient Greece an aspect of the Goddess was known as Kalli. It is likely that these very similar names for the Great Goddess in different cultures was the result of the export of spiritual ideas and practices “out of India” by early invasions.

Hel, Ruler of Helheim

 

In Norse mythology, Hel (also known as Hell, Hela or Hella) is the ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead. She is the youngest child of the God Loki (Loki is a giant who became a member of the Aesir when Odin made Loki His blood brother. Loki is the god of mischief, a trickster, and very cunning.) and the giantess Angurboda. Hel has two brothers: Fenrir (Fenris-wolf) and Jormungand (Midgard serpent).
Hel is usually described as a horrible hag, half alive and half dead, with a gloomy and grim expression. Her face and body are said to be those of a living woman, but Her thighs and legs are those of a corpse, mottled and moldering. Other descriptions of Her say She is half white and half black

The other Gods feared the offspring of Loki and had abducted Hel and Her brothers from Angurboda’s hall. They then had cast Hel into the underworld. She now resides in Helheim (“house of Hel”). This cold, dark and misty abode of the dead is located in the world of Niflheim, on the lowest level of the Norse universe. It is in this land that Hel distributes those dead who are sent to Her, the dead referred to as the ‘dishonored dead’. The dead who die of old age or disease and those not killed in battle go to Helheim – while those who die bravely on the battlefield go to Valhalla. Once they enter Helheim, not even the Gods can leave the place, because the impassable river Gjoll flows from the spring Hvergelmir and encircles Helheim. The entrance to Helheim is guarded by Garm, a monstrous hound, and Modgud. The giant Hraesvelg (“corpse eater”) sits at the edge of the world, overlooking Helheim. Hraesvelg has the form of an eagle and with his flapping wings he makes the wind blow.

Sekhmet

 

The Goddess Sekhmet (also sometimes called Sakhmet or Sekhautet) is undoubtedly one of the most ancient Deities. She came into Egypt from a place unknown and unrecorded, and so is also known as “One Who Was Before the Gods Were.” Sekhmet is a fiery warrior Goddess associated with war and divine vengeance. Her name comes from the word ‘Sekhem’ which means strength or power. She is often depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness. Her main center of worship was the Old Kingdom capital of Memphis and there She was worshipped as a member of a divine triad with Her husband Ptah and Her son Nefertem.
What is best known about Sekhmet comes from a single myth called “The Myth of the Destruction of Mankind.” In this myth humans entered into a conspiracy to overthrow the Gods. Hearing of their plan, Ra (the main Sun God) called the most powerful of the ancient of deities together. After a long meeting they decided to send for Sekhmet who would punish all the conspirators. When Sekhmet went among mankind, She destroyed them, night after night, wading in their blood. She became so drunk with the lust for slaughter on the blood that the Gods became afraid that She would destroy all of mankind. They made a mixture of powerful mind altering drugs and blood and poured this liquid out upon the ground. When Sekhmet came to this area She drank all of this liquid and “Her heart was filled with joy” and She no longer wanted to destroy mankind. From that time on, this liquid was used to celebrate (without the blood) at orgiastic festivals. The people danced, played, and shook the sistrum. From that time on Sekhmet was celebrated as “Beautiful” and “Brilliant” and came to represent the ecstasies of love.
However Sekhmet also is known as a Goddess of War, and in this role She was often said to accompany the Pharaoh into battle, where She aided him by shooting arrows at his enemies. Sekhmet is also the “Lady of Pestilence” who can send plague and disease. She is also revered as a healer of these ailments, a role which seems paradoxical in such a bloodthirsty deity.

Sekhmet is also Protectress of the Divine Order and, as such, protects the Gods and Goddesses against evil forces. Like the lioness, She fiercely protects what She loves and that for which She is responsible. She has never been known to initiate an attack, but welcomes the opportunity to respond to aggression and Her power is dedicated to righteous ends. All of Her actions stem from loyalty and love. Sekhmet is a wonderful Goddess to call upon for protection for these reasons.

Hekate, Queen of the Night

 

Hekate (also spelled Hecate) is a primordial Goddess whose genealogy goes back to Her birth at the beginning of time as a daughter of Nyx, Ancient Night. Hekate may have been originally derived from the Egyptian midwife goddess Heket, who in turn evolved into Heq or the tribal matriarch of predynastic Egypt. In Greece, Hekate was a pre-Olympic Goddess, but unlike many other primordial deities, Hekate was absorbed into the classical Greek pantheon.
Later Greek myths give other accounts of Her parentage rather than that She was a daughter of Nyx. In one version She is the daughter of Aster and Perses (both symbols of shining light) and Hekate is portrayed as a torch-bearing Moon Goddess who wears a gleaming headdress of stars. Later traditions make Hekate the daughter of Zeus and Hera and reduce Her power to only that of the underworld and the waning dark moon. However, no matter what her parentage was said to be, Hekate was a key figure in reuniting the mother and daughter in the story of Persephone’s abduction into the underworld by Hades, and her periodic return to her mother, Demeter. This myth was the basis for the Eleusinian initiation rites of birth, death, and rebirth, which were derived from the mysteries of natures’ seasonal cycle.

Hekate, was known by many names: ‘Queen of the Night’, ‘Queen of the Dead’,'Queen of the Ghosts’, ‘Mother of Witches’, and ‘Mistress of Magic’.

Morrighan, Queen of the Ghosts

 

Morrighan (also called Morrigan, Morgan, Morgause, Morgeian, Morgan LeFay, the Morigu, Morgaine and Morgana), is a Celtic Goddess of battle, strife, destruction, the Otherword, death, and fertility; as well as being Goddess of Glastonbury Tor. The Irish version of Her name (Morrighan) means ‘Phantom Queen,’ or ‘Queen of the Ghosts’. Other versions of Her name, such as Morgana and Morgaine, make reference to the sea – which in Celtic religion is associated with the Otherworld. She appears as both a single Goddess and as a trio of Goddesses (usually known in this form as The Morigu), which were the Badb (‘Vulture’) and Nemain (‘Frenzy’) and Macha (“Battle”). She is one of the Tuatha De Danann (People of the Goddess Danu) and She helped defeat the Firbolgs at the First Battle of Magh Tuireadh and the Fomorii at the Second Battle of Mag Tured. Morrighan has different consorts in different areas, including both the Dagda and Mannanan Mac Llyr – both Gods of the Otherworld.
Morrighan has other roles other than being a Goddess of the Dead. Morrighan is a Goddess of magic and sorcery and is sometimes shown as ancient and withered or conversely as preternaturally beautiful. Morrighan is also the Goddess of Sovereignty and in many myths She approaches a would-be King or Hero in Her aged form, demanding sexual favors. When the Hero makes love to the aged woman, She transforms into a beauty in his arms and prophesies his rise to Kingship. Morrighan figures in the myth of King Arthur as Arthur’s magical half sister Who is sometimes a friend and sometimes an antagonist, but Who in many versions ultimately conveys Arthur to the magical realm of Avallon (the Otherworld).
As a Goddess of Battle, Morrighan is said to fly across battlefields in the form of a black and sleek raven. There is certainly evidence that the concept of a raven goddess of battle wasn’t limited to the Irish Celts. An inscription found in France invoking Cathubodva, ‘Battle Raven’, shows that a similar concept was known among the Gaulish Celts. An Old English poem, Exodus, refers to ravens as ‘choosers of the slain’.
Morrighan is a wonderful Goddess for strong, independent women, especially those on a warrior path. Call on Her energies for overcoming an enemy or use Her force for waning moon magick or for banishing magick.

Her correspondences include: the crow; the raven; obsidian; rubies; the waning and the dark moons; yew; onyx; nightshade; henbane; and black dogs.

Cerridwen, Keeper of the Cauldron

 

Cerridwen (also called Caridwen) is a Welsh Crone Goddess. She is known as a Goddess of the Moon, and is also Goddess of death, fertility, regeneration, grain, nature, dark prophesies, and knowledge. Cerridwen is known as the Great Mother Goddess and the Keeper of Souls. She is often pictured as a great white sow. Cerridwen lives upon an island in Lake Tegid, in a place known as ‘The Land Beneath the Waves’.

Cerridwen is Keeper of the Cauldron of the Underworld, in which inspiration and divine knowledge are brewed along with the souls that will be reborn. Cerridwen married the giant Tegid and had two children – the girl child named Creirwy was beautiful, but the boy named Avagdu (some call him Morfan, because he was black as a raven) was born ugly and dark. Cerridwen worried that Avagdu’s life would be very hard because of his appearance, so She decided to give him a birth gift of the magical powers that She possessed. In Her magickal cauldron (named Awen, the Cauldron of the Deep), Cerridwen made a potion called greal (from which the word ‘Grail’ probably came). The potion was made from six plants for inspiration and knowledge. She arranged for a blind old man to keep the fire burning, and for a young lad named Gwion to stir the contents of Her Cauldron. Unfortunately three drops from the cauldron fell out of the cauldron and onto Gwion’s finger, and he absorbed the potency of the brew. Cerridwen then pursued Gwion through a cycle of changing shapes, which correspond both to totem animals and to the turning of the seasons. The ending came when Cerridwen, in the guise of a hen, swallowed Gwion, in the guise of an ear of corn. Nine months later Cerridwen gave birth to a radiant child, known as Taliesin, a title attached to the greatest of Welsh poet bard.

Freyja

 

Freyja (also spelled Freya) is the most beautiful and propitious of the Norse goddesses. She is the patron goddess of crops and birth, the symbol of sensuality and was called upon at matters of love. She is also is the Norse Goddess of sex, love, beauty, fertility, war, death and wealth. She loves music, spring and flowers, and is particularly fond of the fey (elves & faeries).
Freyja is the daughter of the god Njord, a fertility or sea god, and Her mother is the unnamed sister of Njord (possibly Nerthus). Freyja was originally a goddess of the Vanir. In Norse myth, the Vanir, who lived in Vanaheim, were a group of wild nature and fertility gods and goddesses. The Vanir were the sworn enemies of the warrior gods of the Aesir. The Aesir and the Vanir had been at war for a long time when they decided to make peace. To ensure this peace they traded hostages and the Vanir sent their most renowned gods, the wealthy Njord and his children: Freyja and her sister Freyr. Thus Freyja went to live with the Aesir in Asgard, and the Vanir were ‘assimilated’ into the Aesir.
Freyja ended up married to the mysterious god Od (also called Odr). He disappeared and when Freyja mourned for Her lost husband, She wept tears of gold which turned into amber when they fell into the sea. Her daughters, by Od, are named Hnoss, who is so beautiful that whatever is valuable and lovely is named “treasure” after her, and Gersemi. Freyja resides in the celestial and beautiful palace Folkvang (“field of folk”), where it is Her privilege to receive half of all the warriors slain in battle and take their souls to Her hall, ‘Sessrumnir’; the god Odin receives the other half at Valhalla. Women who die also go to Freyja’s hall. Living with Freyja at Sessrumnir is Hildesvini (“battle boar”) who is actually Her human lover Ottar in disguise. Her chambermaid is named Fulla.
Freyja rides about in a chariot drawn by male cats (their names are never stated) and She owns the precious Brisings’ necklace, which the Norse still refer to as the Milky Way. She is quite accommodating in sexual matters – in fact it is said that She traded sexual favors by sleeping with the four dwarves who had fashioned the necklace – to possess the necklace of the Brisings. When the necklace was taken from Her by Loki, She started a war of retaliation.
Freyja is the leader of the Valkyries and is a shapeshifter. She owns a feather coat which She can use to change into a falcon and to fly between the worlds. After Freyja went to live with the Aesir as a hostage, She taught them – including Odin – ‘Seidr’. Seidr is a form of magickal ability which utilizes trance and divination, and Freyja is often credited with the origin of runic divination.

Freyja’s colors are green, red, and black. All animals are sacred to Freyja, but the horse, falcon and cat hold special affinity for Her – in fact She is often known as Mistress of Cats. Her number is 13 and Her day of the week is Friday. She is associated most often with the full moons of September – which is often called The Harvest Moon – and October – called the Blood Moon. Celebrations in her honor are celebrated on January 10th as The Day of Freyja, and on the full moon of October as The Disirblot. Freyja is a good Goddess to call on in magick concerning love, beauty, sexual activity, childbirth, enchantments, trance, runes, personal power, protection and courage.

Cailleach, Celtic Crone Goddess

 

The Neolithic goddess Cailleach, known variously as the “blue hag”, the “Bear goddess” and “Boar goddess”, “owl faced”, and “ancient woman”, has survived through the ages. Coming from the continent, Her worship spread to the British Isles early after the recession of the glaciers. The proto-Celtic peoples honored Cailleach and blended Her varying aspects, creating images invoking both love and terror. The various names that Cailleach has been worshipped in lend a clue to Her wide spread worship: Boi, Bui, Cally Berry, Caillech Bherri, Cailliach, Cailliaech, Carline, Digde, Dige, Dirra, Dirri, Duineach, Hag of Beara, Mala Liath, Mag-Moullach, Scotia, and Nicnevin.
Cailleach in modern Gaelic means ‘old wife’, but interestingly, it originally meant a ‘veiled one’ (from caille, a veil). In all her various Goddess forms, Cailleach is seen as a Crone Goddess who embodies winter. She is sometimes depicted as an old hag with the teeth of a wild bear and boar’s tusks or else is depicted as a one-eyed giantess who leaps from peak to peak, wielding Her magical white rod and blasting the vegetation with frost. Cailleach’s white rod, or slachdan, made of birch, bramble, willow or broom, is a Druidic rod which gives Her power over the weather and the elements. Cailleach is also a goddess who governs dreams and inner realities. She is the goddess of the sacred hill, the Sidhe, and the place where we enter into the hidden realm of the Fey and spirit beings. Sacred stones, the bones of the earth, are Her special haunts. Cailleach is connected to the ‘bean sidhe’ or banshee (which means ‘supernatural woman’) who are the wild women of the Fey.
Cailleach is also the guardian spirit of a number of animals. She is associated with the ancient tradition of herding reindeer. This means that the reindeer (and all deer) are Her cattle; She herds and milks them and often gives them protection from hunters. Swine, wild goats, wild cattle, and wolves are also Her creatures. Cailleach is also a fishing goddess, as well as the guardian of wells and streams.
In Scotland, Cailleach is considered to be the daughter of Grainne, or the Winter Sun. She is affectionately known as ‘Grandmother of the Clanns’ and ‘the Ancestress of the Caledonii Tribe’. The legends of the Caledonii tribe speak of the “Bringer of the Ice Mountains”, the great blue Old Woman of the highlands. Called Cailleach, Cailleach Bheur, Scotia, Carline or Mag-Moullach by the people, She was the Beloved Mountain Giantess who protected the early tribe from harm and nurtured them in Her sacred mountains. Cailleach Bheur is reborn each Samhain and goes about smiting the earth to blight growth and call down the snow. On Beltane Eve , She throws Her staff under a holly tree or a gorse bush (both are Her plants) and then turns into a gray stone, thus ending winter. In other myths this happens on Imbolc Eve, but rather than turning into a stone, She is instead reborn a young woman.
In Ireland Cailleach is known in Her singular form as Cailleach Beara or “Hag of Beara, – or else worshipped as part of a trio of Goddesses with Her sisters Cailleach Bolus and Cailleach Corca Duibhne. In the Irish Triad, she is considered one of the three great ages: ‘The age of the yew tree, the age of the eagle, the age of the Hag of Beara’. Cailleach Beara inhabits the Beara peninsula on the Cork-Kerry border on the north side of Bantry Bay, Scotland. She is said to have “let loose the rivers, shaped the hills, and waved Her hammer over the growing grass.” In Ireland as in Scotland, She has power over the three months of winter, and is said to turn to stone every spring and to be reborn every October 31 (Samhain). In the legend of the coming of the Tuatha De Danann we are told that Cailleach Beara is the opposite face of the Goddess Bride (also known as Bride, Bridgit, Bridget, Brig, Brigentis, Brighid, Brigidu, Briginda, or Brigit).

In western Ireland, especially in the area of the Cliffs of Mohor, Cailleach is worshipped as a deity called Bronach or Brenach (Ugliness). In northern Ireland, Cailleach is called Cally Berry.

 

These of course are not the whole list but the term "dark goddess" always annoyed me.  Dark goddesses look over death and rebirth, the night's sky, the underworld or otherworld, and punish the wicked.  "Just goddess", "night goddess" or "reincarnation, circle of life goddess" should be a better less "scary" "catholic friendly" "non- glares from people when you mention the dark goddess" goddesses.

The reason why this annoys me so much is that I feel the term "dark goddess" demonizes them, much like what the church did to most of our gods and that is wrong.  I feel that death and rebirth should be revered and not chastised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thanks to
http://dutchie.org/dark-goddesses/ for information

The Greenman

Do you see him as Pan? Is he the leafy man that artists portray?  Or is he just a tree spirit and earth spirit?


I do not really have a standard visual of him, I think of him as the breeze that blows my hair, the leaves that touch me as I walk by, the rain that soaks me, and the earth that I walk on.  When I walk I try to connect with him and rejuvenate myself with the energies that the earth provides.  I visualize my pain and frustrations from the day being placed into the earth to be cleansed and fresh energies being drawn up from the earth into me. 

How do you picture the green man? What do you do to give homage to him?

Are you comitted?

As a witch I am drawn to mythology and ancient gods and goddesses.  Which ones do I worship?  I believe that there is energy in all things and that energy originates from 'The All'.  The All, in my opinion is much like someone worshiping in a mono theological religion. In nature though there is balance a female and male, yin and yang.  The goddess and her consort, the god.  for me, this is pretty much where it ends, I believe that all mythology stems from these two energies.  All female goddesses come from the female half and all male gods come from the male half.

I accept that there are 3 facets of the goddess (and of the god, who ages in his own way) the maiden, the mother and the crone.  So when I am being motherly and protecting my children, I call upon the goddesses who fall into the motherly aspect of the goddess. When I am doing a love spell, I call upon the love goddesses, all still the same original goddess but focused intent.  Much like lighting a red candle and red ribbons.. it is all about focused intent.

What goddesses I am drawn to depends on that intent.  I do enjoy specific goddesses' mythologies, like Kali for example I love her.  And Gaia is one that I can focus on in regards to nature and mothering.  I am drawn to Ireland and the Tuatha de Dannan.

Over the coarse of my path I have changed directions many times.  I have studied every type of mythology even dabbled for quite awhile in the Christian Mythos and became a christian witch.  That worked for me for awhile but still felt wrong in my heart.  I cannot embrace the christian thing it always felt wrong for me, I knew I was destined for something different and now I am trying to figure out how to share this all with my kids.  I wanted to make religion something they had to work for, research every religion and decide which path is right for you.  My son keeps wanting to say grace and he asks me about heaven, which I know is because the family is christian and he hears things.  He is curious about church and I am fine with that but I want him to know that his family is not christian.  Believing in that is fine but he should learn his parents religion, and since my husband doesn't really lay claim to a deity I think it is important for me to explain mine to him.

I do not want for him to be judged or bullied by family or friends because we are not the mainstream religion but what if we were Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhists?  I should not feel apprehension about what others will think of him but i think the worst of it would come from family and i don't want him to feel uncomfortable believing in whatever it is he chooses.  But i don't want him predisposed to Christianity when we are not christian.

I hope the answers come and maybe in the spring we will go for nature walks and talk about the energies of nature.

Past lives, Deja Vu, and Intuition

Today I felt like dancing, I love to dance but always feel self conscience about it.  I love jazz and swing, hip hop, Bollywood, every kind of dance.  I wanted to dance so much I could feel it in every muscle in my body.  I did not dance because I was in the car but it was almost painful to stop it.  Which made me think about the possibility of me being a dancer in a past life.  I am not a dancer in this life, I am not even remotely fit enough to dance...

I am also very drawn to the 20's- 40's I love history and the fashion, etc.  So maybe I could have been a dancer in a past life.  Possibly in the 20's - 40's.

Is there anything that you guys are drawn to with such a personal passion that it cannot be explained?

Eating with the wheel of the year

In yet another article I read they spoke about buying and eating locally. Not just fruits and veggies but honey, fish, herbs, etc.

They explain that the life force of the foods (and flavor) die out and mix with the odors and poisons (carbon monoxide) of the trucks hauling it.

If u shop at farmers markets or grow your own you not only connect with nature but you can eat the foods that were meant for us to eat seasonally.

Fresh fruits during the summer are abundant and hearty soups and homemade bread during the winter. Canning, freezing, pickling, drying, etc. to help preserve foods for the winter.

Also with more natural foods you feel better, cutting out the preservatives and high sodium packed into our everyday grocery buys brings our bodies down.

This is a lesson that I am learning slowly. Now to get my kids to eat a vegetable...

I have been reading an article about palmistry, something that I never actually tried to master but this article made it very simplified.  It fascinates me how different palms can be and yet how close the information is for the person.  As with most divination techniques I know its all symbolism and vague but when you know the person's situation and the palm reflects it.. it is neat.  I want to read more palms, post your palm pics on here.. just tell me if it is left or right or better yet give me both.  I want to practice <3

Divination and Messages

I was reading an article about bird messengers and it listed birds and what each one means and it got me thinking.  It says for "crows" that people are working against you and to be wary. Which may be true for some people but when I see crows I either think of my friend who is obscessed with them or my daughter who's name is Raevynne.  To me crows are not a bad omen but a happy nod from the gods. 

That is the same with interpreting dreams and tarot reading.  Many so called tarot card readers will tell you this spread means that you will.... or be careful because of.....

When I read tarot I tell the asker what the card's symbology actually is.  It is up to the asker what the symbology means to them personally.  With dreams, it is the same, one person may relate differently to a symbol than another.  Be careful when you read people that you don't assume things that may be incorrect readings and symbols are personal in different ways.

Nature Journal

One of the easiest ways to connect with nature is creating a nature journal.

 Making a nature journal is simple, fun, and educational.  Children can help and learn about their world, you can teach about the Goddess and you can connect with your surroundings.  All you need is a journal (I like the composition books) some glue or tape, a pen (or if you want to be.. fancy a quill and ink) and creativity. 

Find a nice spot where you can focus and sit, listen to your surroundings.  Write down what you hear, the rustling of the trees, a snapped twig, a squirrel scurrying or birds chirping.  You can also collect leaves or plants and research them to see what they are and any uses for them. Or, you can take pictures of them and leave the plants in their natural home. Take a moment and observe.  It is hard for us to just stop for a minute and observe the world around us. Of course use caution and do not ingest anything, be careful of poison plants and ticks.  Use common sense so you do not get hurt.

Connecting with nature is as simple as taking a walk and being aware of the things around you.  Taking a deep breath of fresh air and take in the natural energies around you. Those energies are rejuvenating and refreshing and they will help reduce stress.

Take a moment everyday to meditate outside, or take time whenever you can and go for a nature walk and observe.  Your journal can be whatever you want it to be.  But whatever it is, have fun with it make it special.

City Kids and Mother Earth by: James Kambos

I decided to start from the beginning of last year's (2011) Magical Almanac and talk about the articles within.  The first is a nice explanation of ways that city people can still connect with Mother Earth.  The author explains how in this day and age of technology we should take a moment and get back to our magickal roots and how to teach our children how to connect with the Earth also.

The first suggestion was to have your children help prepare meals, which in theory will have them want to eat the food that they create.  ( in my case, if it involves a vegetable is a "No thanks mommy, you can eat it.  I made it for you" )  He goes on to say that they can measure ingredients and set the table. 

I would like to add to this when preparing food, setting the table, measuring ingredients, and growing/harvesting herbs and vegetables they can learn how to put their inner energies into it.  "Made with love" could also be "Made with focused intent."  Even those city witches that want to make a special dinner with a spouse or friends, close your eyes while you stir it send loving intent into your food.  Charge it with energies of what it is intended for.

His second suggestion is getting dirty, this is where the author goes into detail about flowers, vegetables, plants and herbs.  A small pot or window garden is still enough to get back to Mother Earth.

The next suggestion is "Visit a fair", in the autumn there are many apple and pumpkin type festivities and a nice outing to reconnect with the season. You may also visit local fairs featuring home made pies and "biggest vegetable" contests.

In the city though these fairs are harder to find, you would have to go further out into rural communities but a farmers market has home grown and home made goods along with an outing to the local zoo, museum, or nature path.

His next suggestion, and one of my favorites is "decorate with nature", pick up leaves, rocks, branches, flowers, etc. and make something nice out of them.  Those of you lucky enough to have a porch can decorate it with the seasons.  Vibrant flowers for spring, Sunflowers and seashells for summer, corn stalks and pumpkins for autumn, and poinsettias for winter just to name some ideas.

In closing he says one very important thing. "Do not forget to thank Mother Earth and I completely agree.

Even if you live in the city there are hints of nature all around you.  The bee you just swatted away from your latte, that is the Mother reminding you of her.  You do not have to hold rituals every full moon and dance naked in the moonlight to be a witch.  If you do that it seems like it could be wicked fun and more power to you. In my opinion and path all you have to do is take a second to think about the colors on the bird's wing that just flew past your window.  Or the squirrel in the park that comes closer to you everyday hoping for a piece of bread.  That is what it is like to be a witch, that connection with the Earth and all of its creatures.  That energy that you feel when the sun hits you or when the breeze cools you just as you stop to take a break from walking. That connection, no matter where you are, is the path.

Walking the Path

For the last 20 years I have been a witch. I truly believe I was always a witch just never knew it until I was introduced to it.  I have studied all sorts of religions and throughout the years made the most amazing hand written Grimoire. But where does one go from there?  Websites will teach you wicca 101, they will tell you folklore or the names of the gods but for intermediate or advanced things you are on your own.  Some people, from here join a coven and that is fine.  I started a coven and it worked for awhile but I am better working alone or with a friend.  Further study can be the study of herbs and plants, sacred trees, divination, etc.  I have and still do all of that.  in this blog I will occasionally put that information.  I also like to read the witches almanac and will start discussions here on those articles. I hope you enjoy it.

Rav