Shrine to the Gods (and other Spirits)

Since I was already uploading pictures for my Ostara altar, I might as well bring my main altar/shrine out to show you guys.

Here it is in all it's glory....but the photo has been lost!

There are quite a few Buddha statues on there, Chinese-style and Thai-style, as well as Shou Xing (the Chinese deity of Immortality) , and Guanyin (three statues, one framed papercut). The flowers are fake, but I don't think the deities mind. I chose camellias because they fit in with the Asian theme; they look very Japanese.

In the lower left corner you can see the bell I found a few weeks ago at Marshall's, and my chalice comes from there too. $2.99, you can't beat that.

This was the only photo I took of it, but I will take some more tomorrow to give close up views. Everything on this altar looks so much better from close.

See you tomorrow!

Happiness is a burning candle...

On my Ostara altar!

Here are some pics to show you guys my Ostara altar, which was previously the spot where I was doing my tarot and oracle readings. Enjoy!

So this is my Ostara altar as of yesterday morning. It's one of the more simple altars I've made this year, but I love it. The colours are perfect for springtime, and just looking at it makes me happy. The bunny dish is from Michael's craft store, and I'm pretty sure it is made to hold candy, but I might use it to hold tea lights for my Ostara ritual. I love that it's shaped like a pentacle!

And this is that same table, but instead it has been set up for tarot readings. For anyone wondering, that's the Aquarian Tarot deck. I haven't met anyone else that owns the Aquarian Tarot; it seems to be one of the less popular tarot decks out there. But I think the retro illustrations are gorgeous. Plus, it matches the fabric I bought to use for the tablecloth. Not that I buy tarot decks to match my home decor *wink*.

Finally, just a little closeup of my fairy statue. I've had her for so many years- 15 at least. She definitely likes watching over my tarot readings. I really need to get into the fae. They're so cool.
I also keep a little pentacle I made from clay, for protection, and an amethyst point to bring psychic awareness. Can't do a good reading without a piece of amethyst somewhere.

Well, that's all for now folks. Blessed be!

Happy International Women's Day!

To all my female readers, be you mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, godmothers- celebrate your femininity today!

No matter where you live, what you do, or where you are going, women are a universal force in every aspect of life. Life itself comes from us, and we are the ones that bring forth the loving energy and motherly energy of the universe.

Celebrate today by doing something you love, feminine or otherwise. Get your nails done, do some gardening, do a spell for empowerment, give the women in your life hugs, spread love and kindness, go see a car show, watch some baseball....Whatever you love, do it and feel good doing it as a woman!

Blessed be, sisters around the world, and Goddess be with you.

It's Coming

Spring is fast approaching.

The weather today was cool and windy, but otherwise spectacularly sunny. There are a few small patches here and there of snow that will probably be melted by the end of today, and the birds are slowly returning to grace us with their morning chirps.

The sunset last night around 6 pm, so the days are really getting longer now. I'm so excited for spring. There is no better time to go outside and feel the energy of renewal all round you; the sky, the ground, the trees, even the rainy days have a vibration of newness and freshness to them. A washing away of the remnants of winter to bring the clear, bright spring days.

In response to this fresh energy, I have gone and refilled my bird feeders, swept outside the front door, and have set up out my simple Ostara altar. My spring cleaning is coming along nicely, and I want to get some sun catchers for my windows. My bedroom faces South, so I want to make the best of all that sunlight.

This evening, I will sit outside and watch the sunset. A day like this deserves at least that.

Enjoy the sunset wherever you are, too. These simple acts can be the most beautiful ones.

Blessed be.

Needing Some Balance

Okay, so I need to work on balancing my chakras. Badly.

I never think much of chakra work these days, but recently I ran into an issue with some strange dreams I've been having over the past few weeks. Very vivid and disturbing dreams, at that. After doing some extensive research I found a website that referenced a few alternative healing systems and ended up taking little quiz to determine whether my chakras needed balancing.
According to the test my lower chakras were totally under-active, and my third eye was way over-active. I read the information given according to the test results, and I was very surprised. The descriptions related to my test results fit exactly how I've been lately. My third eye is in over-drive and I feel like I'm seeing things everywhere. Between that and the messed up dreams, I am not a happy camper. Plus, I have no stamina at all and cannot get grounded. I tried meditating the other day and just couldn't get in the mood. I haven't had that happen in over two years.

There is definitely a problem here, so chakras, get ready for some balancing.

I've been doing research on stones that correspond the chakras, and I've thought about either making a bracelet or a necklace to wear. I'm start off by carrying some hematite on me as a worry stone. From what I have read, hematite is very good for grounding, so I'm going to keep that near me or the next few days. The jewelry-making can come later.

I also found a few chakra meditation videos on YouTube, so my plan is to use balance the lower chakras individually first, and then do an all-together chakra balancing. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. I'll just have to try it and see.

Until next time, blessed be.

The Seed Moon

It is said that the month of March is a time to start sowing the seeds of coming harvest. Taking that into consideration, I began to think of all the ways that I could manifest new beginnings into my life this month. What can I do or concentrate my inner power on to create a fresh start in this month of March?

Having spent this past week contemplating things to do, I came up with two answers for myself.

Firstly, I want March to be a fresh start for myself. My life changed this past 12 months, and its still changing....Many good things have come from this new turn in my path, but there are other changes that still need to come. I spend most of my teenage years and early twenties cultivating my mind. Yes, education and study are important to me, but through all those years I neglected the rest of me. And that is the truth.
So I want this March to bring about a season of physical change, because I am in great need of physical change right now. Things are happening to me, health-wise, that I feel I cannot control because of the way I am physically. Bringing about changes in my physical health will give me more control over my body and the ability to treat it better through healthier living.

Secondly, since I began this blog in January I have been a roll of sorts. My journal is still pretty bare, but this blog is flourishing. Two nights ago it finally came to me- why my blog is doing so well while my journal has stayed pretty bare. I realized my impetus for writing comes from others. My blog is being read by other people, and my journal is not. Therein lies the difference! My Book of Shadows is, for me, not a journal. It's more of a reference book really. And that is why I like my blog. I can write things, and other people can read them. I was never one of those people that liked to write down things for their own benefit. I don't even write grocery lists if I don't have to. So I am making this blog my journal as of today. Yay.

So, back to my question of how to do make these things manifest? The journal issue is taken care of and in process. As for the physical cultivation? Well, for a start the weather is getting quite nice. I think it's time to start taking walks. Walking is good. As the ancients said, "A journey of a thousands miles starts with a single step". They knew what they were taking about in those days.

The month of March will be a single step. And so begins a thousand miles.

A word on Laozi and the Tao

I recently got back into reading about Daoism, or Taoism. For my own sake, I will be spelling it 'dao' instead of 'tao' because I hate the Wade-Giles system; it sucks.

So I have read the Dao de Jing many times before, and I got the underlying messages somewhat. It is a difficult philosophical text to understand, especially at the time I was reading. I had not yet visited China, and my understanding of Classical Chinese culture was more rudimentary then, so I didn't really absorb the writings of the Dao as much as I wanted to.
Since the new year began I wanted to get back to my 'roots', so to speak, and so I bought the entire Thomas Cleary anthology of Daoist texts. Four huge volumes of classic Daoist writings that cover topics like the Dao, to Daoist health advice, to the Daoist divination system (and I use that term loosely) the Yi Jing (or I-Ching as many know it). So my bookshelf is well-stocked now until the end of the summer.

I just finished reading the Dao de Jing last week, and I think I'm beginning to get it. The whole micro/macro-cosm of what the Chinese term the 'way'. Daoism really is a way. Perhaps not to live by, because not everyone wants to be a hermit living quietly at the top of a lone mountain with only the trees to keep them company. Or maybe they do?....but that is besides the point. I know that Dao is definitely about balance; not to over- or under- exert in any area of life, or spirit. It is about tactfulness and firm but flexible leadership. That may not make sense, but the Dao is full of contradictions. So is life, I might add.

Anyways, I love reading about classical Chinese philosophies, so I'm thrilled to the gills with my books.

P.S. Thomas Cleary is an amazing author and translator **love**.