Recently,

I haven't been updating because I've entered a bit of a nether-void. Emotionally, I've been on edge, stressed, negative and just plain bitchy. I've been doing my best to pinpoint where this is coming from, what I am doing wrong or if something is doing this to me. As much as anyone would like to blame their problems on something else, I cant do that right now. Its me. Getting to the root of things.

I'm still mulling over the tarot spread I did on the dark moon, I did it during communion with Hekate. It was harsh. It wasn't what I wanted to hear. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around Her right now. Cant expect fucking sunshine and teacakes 24/7 can we? I have a lot of work ahead of me, spiritually. I mean, when don't we! But its the tough stuff, that is tough, but so worth it - I know. Feeling a lot of self-doubt right now. Feeling a lot of, "I wanna do everything now!" and total lack of patience.

On a less crybaby note,

I've taken a sudden dive into working hoodoo into my practice. I wasn't quite comfortable with it at first, but, I seem to keep going back to it for spells and workings. It isn't much of a surprise really. I may be a transplant, but me, my family and heritage is Southern as they come (Srsly like, really backwater in the swamp rednecks). I've been cooking up oils, herbs are piling up, jars getting filled. I love it.

Giving candle making a go. This is soy wax. Everything was going just fine and then about 15 after I took this photo it, a leak spot formed near the flame and a waterfall of molten wax basically pored out rendering the candle more-less useless. Meh. The votives are working out well, but I think I'm going to try another wick with this size of candle mold. I'll be making beeswax dip candles too I think. I had forgotten what pure raw beeswax smelled like. Made me so nostalgic.

I found this little guy in an offering bowl I had set out to get some sun. I took it as a gift and he is now sitting on my altar. Also, new skeleton keys.

I'm off to plunder the herb seed catalogs of the internet and plot my future garden of herb and veg!

The last of summer berries,

When we first looked at the house we're in now (just renting) the raspberry bushes were heavy with fruit, it made me so excited. We weren't able to move in in time to reap the full berry harvest, but we're lucky enough to enjoy these last few fruits of the summer. Its nice being able to pop out into the yard for a little snack.


And on a completely unrelated note, posted this on the tumblr earlier this afternoon:

Looking forward to the new moon. I plan on making incense and an oil for Hekate. I haven’t felt much of her lately, she is subtle. Her name has a habit of popping up all over the internet when I’m not even looking for her. A few months ago though, I was being visited by snakes and dogs very frequently in my dreams and was bitten while dreaming (it was a kind of friendly bite, if that makes any sort of sense). When I began researching the messages I was being sent I was almost shocked that it was in fact, her. I had been looking towards my own ancestry (run of the mill, Scots-Irish, Germanic) and expected to find my gods there, but no. Now that I know she has chosen to work with me, she seems to have backed off, but illuminates on things that she would like from me or what I should do. My relationship with her is a few months old, and only now am I building an altar in her name and working on regular worship. I’m looking very forward to building a stronger relationship with her. In a way, this is sort of solidifying that I do in fact have a relationship with her. Like a personal affirmation that I’ve never made.

Fuck yeah for figuring shit out!

New friends and flower heads,

I finally got out today. Hubby told me I needed to get out of the house (I really did. I've been a total pill lately, poor guy, heh.) and do my thing, so I did.

Checked up on one of the first spots I went to when we moved out here. The trail into the woods hasn't been walked on in a long while (I hope it stays that way!) everything was quiet and had been freshly rained on. The air was thick and smelled of sun cured blackberries, faint pine, loam and green - I want to bottle it! I saw a red flash in the distance and immediately knew what I was looking at, a rowan! In the woods! Not in someones yard! Or a park! But the woods! The find was only too perfect. I was a bit afraid that I wouldn't be able to get to the tree due to the insanity that is Oregon brambles, but I made it. To top it off, there was a bit of a clearing around the base of the tree, I'm really hoping this trail area and/or the base of the rowan can be a place that I work at, if they're willing to have me that is. The rowan looks a bit sickly, only had two berry bunches (was a fairly decent size too). I'm hoping to either find or create a blessing charm, and lavish her/him (I don't know yet!) with regular checkups and my attention.

I set out for what I was really after, yarrow flowers. There is a near by "protected by voters" nature area. Consists of an abandon bum camp and quite a large meadow and the creek runs along it. Yarrow was everywhere. Collected about a dozen or so heads. It'll be accompanying my dandelion root tea.

Left a peppermint honey offering at the nearby crossroads and made my way home. Spotted this little fellow though, singing quite a loud song for his tiny size! He was nice enough to let me get close and take his pictures before he took off.