Of synchronicity and... saints?

I had a real OMFG moment this morning when I was having a, what my husband and I like to call business meeting. We usually go over things we need to take care of business wise and touch on any projects, look over each others calendar of events to be sure we've got our ducks in a row.

Christmas is a huge deal for him and he has been wanting to work in his heritage into December celebrations (he is agnostic) create new traditions, etc. (we did this without knowing of Graveyard Dirts wonderfully similar campaign! Check it). He mostly identifies as Swedish, so he was going over some important dates of celebrations he wanted to include. What was on the 13th? Santa Lucia Day.


Now, take a wild guess at what my orris roots name is, mind you, the name she gave me. She told me her name about a month before I asked which day she'd like to be consecrated to pendulum work.

Now, I wasn't raised Catholic. I was raised non-denominational Christian, and I have no beefs with my Christian past, I think it is definitely something you have to be open to when practicing/studying hoodoo. I've never given working with Saints a second thought, just because it doesn't really flow with my normal way of, doing things.

So when I saw that her consecration day was SAINT LUCY'S DAY my jaw fucking dropped. I understand that she is honored as a light-bringer (which makes me think of my light-bringer, Hekate) and patron of the blind. I'm still trying to work out what this means exactly. Perhaps my soon to be root pendulum will allow me to see things that I am normally blind to? I don't know, I'll have to give it some deeper thought. But I do know, that I will be giving a nod to Saint Lucy on the 13th and both she and my little root, who is resting sweetly in her box, will be getting (veganized) lussekatter and lots of candles.

Talking with roots,

Having buttered up an orris root I've been working with (she has her own wooden box, sleeps under my pillow, regular sprinklings with homemade Florida water, etc.), I asked her when she'd like to be consecrated to pendulum work... I wait for an answer.

A chipper, "Tuesday the 13th!"

I'm thinking, oh gods, it could be AGES before I find a Tuesday that lands on the 13th *pulls up December calendar*

HAH!

Giving thanks,

While most of America will be sitting down to a traditional supper of taters and turkey, I will be doing none of that. I will be giving thanks to Her. Hekates deipnon synced up nicely with Thanksgiving this year.

At the start of November, I found myself sinking back into old habits. I was in a spiritual lull. Dragging my ass into my room to do devotionals was hard. My attention was gravitating towards unproductive activities, there was a general malaise about everything. I kept kicking myself for feeling this way. Spiritual lulls aren't supposed to happen right? Wrong. They happen. What I find myself getting really frustrated over, is not being able to find a way out - it's like a black fucking hole sometimes.

One night, I put myself in front of Her altar lit the candles and incense and unloaded. I asked Her for the guidance to find my way out, a method to deal with this reoccurring theme in my practice.

Yesterday it all fell into place, in no particular order:

1. No weed (still an issue for me).
2. Spiritual cleansing on a regular basis.
3. MEDITATE.
4. Devotions, daily.
5. Regular offerings.
6. DO IT.

I know, it's pretty basic shit that I should know already. It was a real DERP moment when it dawned on me. But when I get into those lulls, I have no idea where to pick my shit back up again. I often feel like I am trying to catch something in pitch black darkness. I needed to learn how to pick myself up properly and shake the dust off so that I may continue on my merry way.

It started to click as I was preparing the house for the deipnon and Noumenia yesterday. We've been out of weed for a little while, so my head was clear. I ritually cleaned the living shit out of the house, worked up a sweat and got a bit of a blister and all. Found some time to meditate, which has become something I seriously must keep up, my ADD brain can be painful at times and I find much relief doing it regularly. If you haven't read Jason Millers thoughts on meditation and think you cant do it, then I strongly suggest you read a few of his books! Then I spent the evening baking banana bread for Hermes (he seems to like bananas, more on that later), sprucing up his shrine and writing in my physical journal. When my "OH DERP" moment hit me, I ran to Hekate's altar and sang my thanks to Her.

I found myself feeling measurably better. I need to reinforce my practice when things are feeling lackluster. No, sparks aren't always going to fly, but you maintain that connection. Falling down is part of the process, it just all in how you pick yourself back up.

I give you praise Hekate. Queen and mistress of the crossroads. Illuminator. Key bearer of the cosmos and all that lies between.

I listened hard but could not see,

Finally the day comes,

I am generally a very observant person. Somehow though, my husband tends to spot what I overlook. Like that Hekate plaque in a cluttered antique shop window.

Today after grocery shopping we walked down the side of a street we never usually walk down, he exclaimed, "MUSHROOMS!" ... and indeed there was mushrooms. A HUGE patch of fly agaric - beneath well manicured beech trees in an industrial warehouse area. Who would have thought? I keep a constant eye out for the buggers and have several trees I check on a regular basis around this time of year. I've had so many dreams of finding them (an old women usually being around, encouraging me to pick them) and they always felt just within my grasp but I've never found any, until now! It's also interesting, because that is the same area I've seen ravens most frequently.

I only plucked two. They're not even for me, they're for the spirits. I have a personal bag of nicely dried Washington caps that I got from BBB. These'll have to be well hidden from a certain cat who freaks the fuck out over fly agaric. I've known him get places no cat should, or COULD get to and bust into the bag to have a snack*. Then you wake up to find your crack head cat with dilated pupils pinging off the wall, your bag of mushrooms scattered all over the house and half chewed on. Other mushrooms? He doesn't care for them, it's just these! Right now he is mewing like mad, I think he can smell them.

I am very thankful that they crossed my path - and that my husband was there to spot them!


(*Note: I do not actively encourage my cat to eat fly agaric. It happened once. The bag was kept on TOP of a 7 foot shelf with no other way for him to get to the top. He literally climbed the shelving, opened a container and ran away with the bag! (Being a crafty bastard he did it while we were sleeping) There is no stopping a cat that determined. Lesson learned, they're now in a very sealed up and cat proof drawer.)

Wacky cake,

My mom used to make wacky cake all the time. She called me up a few days ago and was talking about how she had made it recently. I haven't made a cake, with frosting in AGES. It was oddly satisfying to make.

The ancestors have gotten their piece, along with copious amounts of coffee - their first offering request. I gave up coffee a while ago, so I purchased a small french press for offering purposes and to have an odd cup myself. I do miss the taste.

Quite pleased with how it turned out. I like the recipe, because it gets better a few days old and is pretty resilient. It was easy to ice and didn't crumb up too much after chilling it. I might add beets next time. A restaurant I used to work at made their devils food cake with beets, something I had never heard of before - makes it earthy and deepens the chocolate flavor. I sort of wish I had a torch on hand to gloss up the frosting for photos!

Thin times,

Yes, yes, the veil is thin! I know. But what I didn't know is that I would be encountering things (often!), or spirits rather. I think that some of this has to do with the personal oath that I made last month - so many doors have opened since then.

Last night, I ran down stairs to grab something from my working, ritual, scared(?) room. The second I walked in, I could see, although not physically but with my third eye a ghastly looking creature. It was so tall, it's head was touching the ceiling, elevated by these extremely long legs. It was surprised by my presence and just watched me. I very carefully walked into the room, grabbed what I needed and carefully walked out - it followed me to the door and went no further. I was really trying to shrug it off, but seriously. I walk in the room and it's like, SHABLAOW. It scared the shit out of me at first, but it wasn't threatening, mostly curious. I went back upstairs, trying to deny what I felt and saw... but couldn't!

I am having a hard time knowing how to react to these encounters. I keep remembering that first real journey I went on and how I was being told to listen. I am rereading Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits, because it has different meaning to me now that I have personal confirmed visionary experiences. There is a lot more to be gained from that book, now that I understand it better!

I did acquire a helping spirit during the workshop with Christina Pratt, so I am pretty sure I should be looking towards him for help with these matters. I am still working out how to work with him, I mean, I'm trying to take all of this in stride. It's just a bit unnerving when it's being thrown at you, vigorously!

I also realize... I need to lay down some home protection.

Anyhow. There is food that needs to be cooked and an ancestor altar that needs to be set up. I am doing everything by the seat of my pants this year, it really bothers me - but I have just been so damn busy between my job and my work. My plan is to get so caught up with my job that it requires only maintenance, that way I have more time and enegry for my spiritual practices.

OH! I got accepted into the Hoodoo Rootwork Correspondence Course with cat yronwode! It was an honor to have the chance to talk to her over the phone. She's awesome and funny! Really looking forward to getting my supplies and book and getting my hands nice and dirty.

Off to the kitchen I go!