something new

I am determined to keep learning as I age gracefully in our newly retired life.  I'm even trying something new with my blog. I've joined a reading group and added a new button to my side bar.  Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf's 2014 Reading Challenge sounds easy enough, I think I can read at least 5 books this year. 

I'm looking for witchy books to make me laugh and maybe teach me a thing or two.  Do you have any special plans for this year?  What's your favorite pagan / witchy book - your 'go to' book and how many times have you read it?

Happy 2014!

~ Sam

christmas has become yule

I have collected Christmas tree ornaments since the year dot. My collection includes lots of Santas, several angels, plenty of stars and bells, and a half dozen or so Joseph, Mary, and the Baby Jesus - in various poses.  As my beliefs have changed some of the old ornaments have lost their meaning and I no longer want them on my tree.  Sure, I share my life with Darrin, but he's always left the decorating up to me.  I'm curious to see if he or anyone notices my pagan beauty.  Since I'm the one decorating it (and cleaning up afterwards) I tend to think of it as my tree.

My Yule tree.

 

My celebration of the return of light to the world. 

Paulette at Having Written left a comment on my last post about how she decorates her Yule tree and I kept those words close to me as I decorated this year. For the last couple of years I have reduced the Christian symbols and increased the bells and stars. The Santas can stay - they remind me of gnomes and in my home are a symbol of the earth. The bells remind me of air, the lights and stars are my fire. Snowflakes represent water in its winter form. 

As I sit here in my favorite chair, glowing almost as much as my beautiful tree, I am so proud of how far I have come. I don't worship anything these days, however, I have a respect for the earth and time and life that has made me grateful and happy and content.

Whatever you are celebrating this week I wish you joy.

~Sam

)O(

change and hope

A little more than two months and Darrin and I will be retired. I've spent the last several months bringing up little things - and taking down a few things. Most of the Christian symbols I have put away. My decorating has gone to pictures of nature, a couple of quilted wall hangings, and (this was big for me) my broom collection is on display. Notice I said most of the Christian symbols are gone, not all. I'm trying to balance out both sets of beliefs and still (ever so gently) trying to explain to Darrin how much I love him, how much my beliefs have changed, and how much I love him. Know what I mean?

I am happy (and amazed) to report that he may have actually heard, understood, and accepted what I've told him.

A couple of Saturdays ago we got up early to walk to our friends' house - we had been invited for breakfast and since they live less than a mile, we decided it was a perfect opportunity for a little exercise. I was still getting dressed when I heard Darrin talking to someone at the front door. When I came into the living room no one was there. Turns out the Jehovah Witnesses were out in the neighbor and when they stopped by Darrin simply told them no thanks. He said he thought about making them wait to let me talk with them (with all the bible studying I've done in my life I'm quite good at taking folks on, verse by verse). Then he looked at me and said, "Next time someone comes to the door I'm going to tell them Let me get my wife. She's a witch."

I hugged him and said, "You do that."

Either the spirit of Halloween is making him more playful or maybe he's starting to see the light.

Life is good.

Then again, maybe it's that broom collection.

~Sam

)O(

my rock

I get my best work done following the light of the moon. Maybe it's just an old habit or maybe there is some ancient wisdom at work that guides me to:  'Plant' with the waxing crescent, nurture until the full moon, rejoice with the full moon ('dance by the light of the moon'), relax and take inventory as the moon begins to wane, and (this is important)dump/throw out/ get rid of stuff (energy, negative thoughts, things I no longer want or need, trash, etc.) from the waning crescent until the new moon, finally - to rest with the new moon. 

This schedule became clear to me after I stopped having a period.  I guess without a monthly cycle to guide me, I was left to my own devises and at some point a couple of years back I realized I still lived 'by the moon.'

If I'm ever uptight or worried I try to calm myself by going out to check the moon. There's just something about taking a few minutes to acknowledge this heavenly body that calms me and helps me focus. I don't worship the moon. I enjoy it. I love the mystery and wonder attached to it. It is my rock.

Are you a 'moonie?'

~Sam

)O(

believe what you will

O Summertime, how lovely you are!  Over abundance of flowers, fruit, and veggies in the garden - life at it's best... until a crazy sister in law at a family reunion cornered me and wondered why I never respond to her 'Praise the Lord' Facebook posts.  I honestly told her I just don't have time to respond to all my FB friends and their daily (hourly) status updates.  But her posts are special and she knows that the goodness of the lord will come down on me and my family if I will just start LIKING and SHARING her posts.  I told her that I didn't think that was the way it works.  My eyes glazed over as she lectured me on her beliefs...

Her beliefs - they work for her.  Wonderful.  Go for it. 

At some point I saw Darrin rolling his eyes - SIL's form of Christianity is scary as hell and even Darrin starts to doubt when this woman starts to preach.  She launched into a if you don't stand with me monologue that worried me because she has the fear of witches.  "Lord Jesus there are witches..."  I couldn't help but think that 'they' were closer than she realized.  While I didn't keep my mouth shut to save my life, I did keep my mouth shut to save the reunion and the rest of my family from her prejudices and preaching.

I'm back home now, safe for now, wondering how long I will keep silent.  At what point do I step forward and just explain myself.  I follow a natural path, my beliefs are my own and I chose not to believe in your god(s).  I still love you - please notice I've been good to you for years, not for a reward in heaven or because I fear hell, just because we are all creatures on this planet at this time.

Days growing shorter but this seems to be the hottest part of summer,
 only a few daisy blooms this late in the season.
I like how the buds look like fairies in the evening light.

All of us should be following what we believe.  I can't see life being any better than being free to believe and live as we want to, except maybe being able to tell anyone who asks "This is what I believe" and know that they will accept me and love me just as I am.

~ Sam

)O(

what is going on?

I sit here watching state houses around the U.S. 'saving babies.'  I am appalled that these people are elected officials - these law makers believe that if they shut down clinics where abortions can be legally performed that they are stopping abortions and saving babies.  How can any adult be so blind?  Most women (and girls) who choose to end their pregnancy will do so with or with out the 'permission' of the government. 

In my view these law makers (so many of them men!) are trying to make women stop having sex because they believe it is naughty.  Good girls should not enjoy sex outside of marriage and even then perhaps it would be better if they just didn't enjoy. 

All I see are people trying to prove how good they are by shutting down women's clinics, especially those with the name Planned Parenthood.  They have decided that Planned Parenthood is in league with the devil and anyone who makes money providing 'those services' is just evil and must be publicly shamed and gotten rid of - as soon as possible. 

Did it ever cross their minds that we know the number of abortions performed in this country because these facilities are regulated and required to keep statistics?  No one knows how many abortions were performed before Roe v. Wade because it was illegal. 

Watching the folks in Texas is heart breaking.  It looks like half the state will be without clinics if this bill passes.  How is this compassion for the poor?  How is this good for women?  During the last week or so, I read where sex education is very lacking in the state.  If these Texans really want to end abortions why are they not teaching birth control? 

I think this is being done to appease their god.  Forget that they tell stories of this god which include drowning all the world's population (except 8 who survived on a big boat with 2 of all the world's animals), a god who took his people out of slavery and then started teaching them how to treat their own slaves (the part about selling one's own daughter into slavery is a bit disconcerting), there's lots more I just don't want to read a bible tonight...

I do want to make the world a better place for the generations to come. 

Wake up People!  Register to vote.  Stay informed.  When the time comes VOTE.

Pro Choice is Pro Life

Thanks for letting me rant.  We should all be ranting - these laws affect women and men.  We must never take freedoms for granted.  Our grandmothers and mothers thought this was settled in 1973, why on earth are we still fighting this battle? 

~Sam

)O(

a year in the life

For just over a year now, I have followed a natural / pagan path.  A path of my own making, I guess I am 'the road less traveled' type of person. 

I have greeted sun rises and relaxed and enjoyed sun sets. 

Tuning into the seasons has been lovely.  Trying to just live in this moment. 

Today I enjoyed the heat, acknowledging that this is summer, the hottest time of the year, but even now the days have started to grow shorter.  The wheel is turning.

Just trying to enjoy the now and not go jumping ahead to what's next has been life changing for me.  Sure, sometimes I have to plan for the future, but I spent so much of my life worrying about what might or might not happen - I feel like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I have been kind only because I wanted to be kind - not with the thought of getting a better seat in the afterlife, just because - maybe because something in me acknowledged something in another person and wanted to stop and mark this moment. 

I have tried to talk less, not because I have nothing to say.  Hell, I could jabber all night and still have things to chat about over morning coffee.  These days I see words as one of the most power tools on earth.  They build up and they can destroy.  I try to speak only what I want put out in the world.

Life is so much more peaceful.  I find myself less competitive these days - is that something that comes with wisdom or old age?

~Sam

)O(