Bright and Shining

Happy Full Moon!

This moon is called the Wolf Moon or the Cold Moon. It was called the Wolf Moon in colonial time because it was the time when hungry wolves came close to the villages. Another fabulous day here in the land of me and I must say, that moon was bright and big tonight.

I worked 16 hours today and had very little time to enjoy the day. I stepped out into the night and was able to bask in the full glow of the Cold Moon. It was a nice drive home too.

My mother in law sent me a bloodstone in the mail. She has a habit of picking up random things at flea markets and such and mailing them to us. I don’t think she understood the significance of the particular piece. This was a blood stone on a silver chain with fairies around it.

Bloodstone is a powerful healing stone that has been valued for 100’s of years for its healing energies. It purifies and detoxes the body. It can ground negative energies and help to cleanse your body’s energies. It increases strength and energy. It promotes a constant flow of energy though out the body. It is good to have for athletes or people who have jobs with a lot of physical activity. (Like me.)

I wasn’t sure where this one had been or what kind of negative energy is had absorbed so I did a cleansing of it. There are many ways to cleanse such an item. I rubbed it with coconut oil, wrapped it in a blue cloth and buried it in a wooden bowl full of river rocks. I set the bowl on the fire ring in my back yard. I left it there from the new moon until the full moon. Now it is ready for use.

Other ways to cleanse items include:

Washing it in Salt Water (Preferably Sea Water)
Bury it in the garden
Leave it in a slow moving stream
Let it lie out in the moonlight

Anyway, now I have a fabulous new item to help me in times of need.

Until we meet again…

A New Moon and A Constant Companion

I had to work today. Another price I pay for being a modern witch. But I am now sitting in my sanctuary, and contemplating my day. Enjoy this, the first new moon of the year.

Today I am using Rosemary and Mint oils in my aromatherapy. The smell is divine. Rosemary in magick goes back forever. Also called the Dew of the Sea it is said that it was draped around the Goddess Aphrodite when she arose from the sea. Also, it is said that the Virgin Mary spread her blue cloak over a rosemary bush, turning the flowers from white to blue. (Generally Rosemary has green leaves with flowers of white, pink, purple or blue.) You can use rosemary in love spells or at weddings. It has also been used in remembrance at funerals and memorial services.

Mint is another healing herb. Using it as I am in aromatherapy, it can help with nausea and is a smell associated with hospitality. Mint can also help with stomach aches. Spray a little mint oil around to keep away wasps, hornets, ants and roaches.

I keep a fountain near my work space. Simple rock waterfall. The sound is very soothing. Gibby, my familiar is directly under my feet. His fluff keeps my toes warm.

And that is what I would like to discuss today.

Animal familiars.

The concept of animal familiars goes back throughout the history of witchcraft. It was said that demons possessed small animals and were doing the bidding of their masters.

That is not what I mean.

Others have believed that fairies inhabit the bodies of small animals and help their human companions in life.

Perhaps.

I am talking about animals with whom you share a special connection. An animal you share an emotional and psychic bond. There are pets. And there are those special pets. You know the ones. Animals whose souls exist on your same plane of being.

Maybe they came to you unexpectedly. Maybe you went looking for them. You just know.

We have two in our house. One is mine. One is my daughters.

And just an FYI… We actually have a lot more than 2 pets. We currently have 3 dogs, two cats, 2 guinea pigs, a turtle and a fish.

But today we are only talking about familiars.

Like Gibby.

Right now he is looking at me because I put my foot on him.

There is just something about him. He is mine and I am his. No one else will do for him. I once went away for a few weeks for training and he moped around the whole time.

I swear he can understand me. I have never been able to teach a dog that many tricks. In such a short time. I have had dogs before, but Gibby is special.

My mom bought him for me on a whim. I was working at a pet store at the time. The other girls who worked there had these little stupid pocket dogs that they gushed over. Also, the owner of the store was a creepy old hag who thought teenagers were so cool. I just wanted to do my job and go home. I didn’t care about the teens. But the owner kept telling me I didn’t fit in. (Big surprise. I showed up on time and did what I was supposed to and didn’t waste time.) My mom was worried I would get fired and thought if I had a stupid little pocket dog, I might be able to have something in common with my teenaged coworkers. (FYI… didn’t work. That woman was a horrible person. Karma will get her.)

Gibs is not stupid. Nor is he worth gushing over. My grandpa named him Gibson after the baseball player Kirk Gibson. We call him Gibby. Or Gibs. He knows when he is being spoken to.

My oldest daughter has a familiar of her own, a cat named Muffins.

There is something about that cat. She is where ever my daughter is. She has the whole house to roam in and mostly is in my daughter’s bedroom. Sometimes I think that cat can read minds.

We had gone to the shelter to look for a cat. Our cat. It was missing. And Muffins picked us. I don’t even know how she did it. Carolynn told me that this cat picked us and we needed to take her home. She was serious about it. And so we got Muffins.

What are your thoughts? Do you have an animal familiar?

Is it as cute as ours?

Happy New Year

Welcome! Perhaps on this, the first day of 2016, you have started to experiment with your new spiritual discovery. Perhaps you are further along and are just joining us. Either way, welcome to you. Let us begin this day be giving thanks for the year that has just come to an end. Let us reflect on the year which has passed and focus our energies on the future. This year has been very exciting for me and my family. First of all, we moved into a new home this year. Moving into a new home is always a big step. Bringing your energy and the energies of your family members can be a struggle. Depending on the previous inhabitants of the building it can be difficult. Whether moving into a new place or just getting started with this New Year, a good idea is to clean. Clean everything. A clean organized, clutter free space leads to a clean organized, clutter free mind. To begin your New Year right, the first person to cross your threshold after midnight will have a big influence on your coming year. Always be wary of those who you invite into your inner sanctum. Traditionally one might also eat black eyed peas and pork. Black eyed peas are a southern tradition and are supposed to bring good luck when eaten on the first day of the year. Pork because poultry scratches backwards, a cow stands still, but a pig roots forward, ergo those who dine upon pork will be moving forward in the new year. Another big change for us in the past year, I moved on to a new job. I am thankful for the new opportunity every day. And finally, we welcomed a new baby this year. He is a blessing on our family. And the first boy. (And last.) Hopefully you were able to take some time for yourself today and look back on your blessings of the past and look forward to the future. Sweep away the bad. Burn sage to cleanse and clarify your home. And look forward to a great year. I, however, am a modern witch and I had to work. I did take some time to reflect on the past year and all there was to be gained from it. I engaged in some meditation and burned some lavender incense to help let go of last year’s anxieties and enter the new year clear and free of worry. This is going to be a great year. Give some thanks.