Soaring Eagles

Nicholas Lisi/The Post-Standard

 
An incredible sight here in the Syracuse NY area.  20 eagles have been seen soaring over our Onondaga Lake. They settle into trees surrounding the lake, providing wonderful photographic opportunities. Our Sunday newspaper (The Post-Standard)  had beautiful pictures and a story that tells of the return of the eagles after decades. The eagle was on the endangered species across the United States, but has been removed. This magnificent bird is flourishing around the country. It is remarkable to have them settled in here for the winter, in such an urban environment. There is concern though. Onondaga Lake, up until recently, was considered one of the most polluted lakes in the US. Years of chemical dumping before the 1970s by industries surrounding the lake, left it damaged almost beyond repair. Efforts in recent years to clean the lake up have been successful, but the lake bed is the repository of mercury and other toxic chemicals. The eagles taking fish out of this lake could face, among other effects, fertility issues.

Nicholas Lisi/The Post-Standard

Onondaga Lake has a place of importance for the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, now referred to in their own language as the Haudenosaunee. The eagle is a revered symbol; of peace, of spirituality. Seeing the eagles return is a reason to celebrate, but also, a reason to heed the mistakes of the past and continue to restore the lake.

The Tree of Peace
by John Kahionhes Fadden

For more information on the Haudenosaunee, click here

February Fairies: What is this about? On my sidebar, you can click on the button, and be whisked away to the Whimsical Cottage blog. Danni is hosting a month of guest blogs, art, stories and more, all about the Fae. Her goal is to bring some lively posts to help us all get through these long winter days. I am going to be a guest blogger there on February 12th.

Also, note that the fundraiser is still going on for the Syracuse University students who are flying to Great Britain in March to attend Spring Solstice observances at Stonehenge. Every little bit helps. Click the button on my sidebar (Pagan Students) for all the info.

Candles for Imbolc

While contemplating my Imbolc ritual I have been reading several books and blogs to add something different this year. Today I was happy to see Patti Wigington's blog had a very nice candle ritual. If you would be interested in reading about it, click here



It is good to know that the Wheel of the Year is turning a bit more towards Spring. Where I live, it is definitely a symbolic turning, as it is way too cold, there is far too much snow, and we definitely will not be seeing signs of spring yet. But we know it is coming, and celebrating the Imbolc Sabbatt means we do not have to wish the winter away; winter will be leaving on its own soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year

(note: midsummer is called Litha in many traditions)

Hey, it is Friday! Lots to do this weekend. Blessings to all, stay safe, warm and happy.   Robin.

Just Me and a Dog

Waking up at 2:00 am this morning, for no particular reason. Wide Awake! So...I came downstairs, sat down at the computer. Played a couple of games of Bejeweled (Diamond Mine). Read a new magazine--filled with beautiful pictures of lovely rooms. Sort of depressing. One of the dogs, Lexie, got up from her snug spot on the loveseat in the family room. She looks at me and yawns. Then heads for the kitchen looking for a snack. The other dog, Gwennie is having a snoring duet with my husband upstairs.

Lexie decides she wants to go out. Oh, look it's snowing. Again. While I wait for her, I listen and look for the fox. There is a fox in the neighborhood, glimpsed at odd hours of the night. There are rabbits, too..well, there used to be...you know, the fox and all.

So Lexie comes back inside, and decides to go back to sleep. I am still not sleepy. Time to put a pot of coffee onto brew. Thinking about Imbolc and gathering my new candles for the ritual. I have a basket of greens left over from Yule for the fire.

Typed up a poem for a poetry contest. Got it ready for the mail.

Sigh. I think I will read a bit. I am reading Craft of the Wild Witch by Poppy Palin. Very interesting and well written.

Coffee's ready. Maybe the newspaper has arrived. But it is snowing, and I don't feel like slipping down the driveway in my jammies. Oh well.

So anyhoo, this has been fun, hasn't it? 

Have a great day! I will catch you later, after my nap.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/14

Eeeek-Reader

My morning paper had a comic strip that tickled me. The comic strip is called "Grand Avenue" and features a grandmother raising her twin grandchildren and the hilarity that entails. The grandmother is sitting in her chair reading a book; the grandson comes up to her and says "you're so old-fashioned, why don't you get an e-reader?" The grandmother replies that she is not old-fashioned, she just likes the feel of a book. Then she asks her grandson to turn on the light for her. He returns with a lit candle. She says, "very funny."

As for me, I am not old-fashioned, though I tell my kids that I am a traditionalist. And I am an admitted techno-phobe. I have a rough time with any "new-fangled" gadget, and I surely do not care for change. My cell phone is practically "old school". It does not take pictures, or surfs the web, or maps my route...it simply makes calls, receives calls.  I don't like any appliance that has so many bells and whistles that you can not find the on/off button. Our universal remote turns on the t.v., the cable box, the sound system and the dvd player. I am unable to figure out how to use it. I just like simple things.

http://bookshelves.tumblr.com/

And I like the feel of a book. I love holding the book, enjoying the cover art, turning pages, using a bookmark. I love my bookshelves arranged with all the beloved favorites, the beautiful gardening and craft books with their glossy, gorgeous pictures.  That is not to say that I think we should live in the dark ages, without any modern conveniences. Heavens no! I love indoor plumbing and my beautiful Gemini, dual-oven, ceramic top stove.

My daughter, raethan loves her e-book. She is a computer genius; she has a job as a software developer. She amazes me with her knowledge; she is brilliant in all things electronic, complicated, intricate. A great puzzle solver and trouble shooter. She loves to read, and I think it is great that she enjoys her e-book with all its merits and uses. Just please, don't ever give me one.

Frankly, it is a miracle that I am typing this blog on a lap top. That I have wandered around the blog-o-sphere, have set up this blog, learned how to edit posts, insert images and links, and have not crashed the computer in the process.

Well, gotta run, time to milk the cows and churn the butter. The ice truck will be by soon to fill up the icebox in the kitchen. And I have to get my mail ready for the Pony Express rider.

Haggis, Anyone?

January 25th is the anniversary of the birth of Scotland's famous poet, Robert Burns. What would New Year's Eve be without his famous Auld Lang Syne? If you are up to it, celebrate this birthday with a Burns Supper, which features that ubiquitous Scottish dish, haggis! And of course a toast or two with a fine Scottish whiskey! I perused a web site this morning that offers up some interesting information on Robert Burns. http://www.heartoscotland.com/Categories/RobertBurns.htm 
Being of Scottish heritage, I cannot let this date go by without mentioning it.


How is my Declutterfest going, you ask? Well, it continues, and I think I will have everything in order before Imbolc (February 1st/2nd). Imbolc is the Sabbat Wiccans celebrate to recognize the first tiny signs of winter's end. I will be sharing some of my Imbolc preparations this week.

At the top of my sidebar, there is a image of Stonehenge. Click on it for information about the Syracuse University pagan students' trip there in March for the Solstice and how you can help them get there. Thanks!

Final Days of Fundraiser, Please Help

A while back I posted about the pagan students at Syracuse University and their trip to Stonehenge for the Spring Solstice (Ostara) observance  Click here for that post. The pagan chaplain at SU, Mary Hudson, has a post that you can read to learn how you can contribute. A paypal account is available there. Please click on the Stonehenge image at the top of my sidebar, or here  http://jesusandthegreenman.wordpress.com/

The students need just $2900.00 more for their trip.  This is such an excellent opportunity for them. Please check it out!

Ground Control to Major Tom

Meditation is a daily practice I could not skip if I wanted to. The practice brings me peace of mind and spirit, it brings me closer to Deity, allows me to connect with Universal truths, keeps my blood pressure at healthy levels and assures me that I will get through whatever life throws at me in a calmer manner.

About 12 years ago my husband and I became certified Reiki I practitioners. A remarkable experience and a wonderfully spiritual activity. During that time, our Reiki Master taught the basics of meditation, leading us on Guided Meditations. The most important lessons involved grounding. I still use her techniques for grounding oneself before meditation, before circle casting, before doctor appointments, or whenever I feel the need. (Grounding excess energy after spell work or ritual is also an important practice...but I am referring to the act of grounding oneself before meditation)

The need to "anchor" oneself to the mundane world before embarking on a meditation is not about fear of losing one's self on the astral plane or becoming disconnected from reality. I have read books that warn of this happening and, frankly, that scared the bejeebers out of me. Fortunately I have also read authors that say it is impossible for this to happen. I am pretty certain that there are a lot of people who truly believe you can be "lost" during a meditative state and would argue this with me. That is okay. I believe that I cannot lose myself, therefore I won't. Perhaps naive, perhaps incorrectly informed. The fact is, I have been doing this for a long time, and I am here to tell the tale.

http://www.yogaearth.com/blog/the-purpose-of-all-dharma-practice/

I ground myself to bring my awareness into the moment. That is to say, I go through the steps, beginning with the acts of  "Focus", "Center", "Breathe" and then to the simple techniques I learned that keep me aware of the Here and the Now, so I feel comfortable and safe to allow myself to reach a meditative state. It is all very personal, and each must find their own way. What works for me may not work for another.

The important thing is to just do it.  It takes practice and patience, as the mind wants to jump around into all the stuff that is going on; grocery lists, to-do lists, last night's tv show, write that letter, pay those bills. Grounding myself is the signal that tells my mind...time to relax, slow down, focus....center.....breathe.....

Meditation and Grounding...a good subject for discussion. A wonderful practice. I highly recommend it.

Winter Musings, DeclutterFest Photos

Early morning run to the grocery store before another big storm hits us. Frigid temperatures, below zero, expected over the weekend. The landscape is already white white white, from all the other snowfalls. The wild birds are huddled around the feeders, gathered on the honeysuckle vines, snuggled against each other on the porch beams, hiding in the old Yule tree. The calm and the quiet. It will be beautiful, of that there is no doubt. Settling in for the weekend, with plenty of wood for the stove, lots of hot beverages, and homey tasks to occupy the mind and spirit. Winter does grow long for us here in the Northern regions, causing daydreams of warmer days, but it will not be wished away, and each day is still a gift, of waking and breathing and wondering. The earth must still sleep for awhile, the deep rest, because there was hard work before, and there will be hard work again.

And now, here is a quick peek at some of my Declutterfest work:

New altar arrangement (ritual supplies neatly in drawers)

Wiccan books tidily organized in one place

Pegboard (a la Julia Child) hung in kitchen

Top half of my mother's hutch installed over stove (the bottom half long ago damaged)

Newly reorganized cupboards, the left for dishes, the right for food. Lazy Susan on top

baking supplies now within reach on workspace (former microwave home) and the remains of a butterscotch coffeecake

Lexie hoping I won't declutter her toy basket

Wishing everyone a safe and happy weekend!  Blessings.   Robin.

Daydream

Summer.

Wiccan Rites--Full Moon Esbat, a Primer

Wondering why all the blogs of Wiccans/Pagans have the "moon gadget" somewhere on their site? The moon is an important part of our path. Knowing the current phase of the moon is an integral part of spell work and rituals. Of course in times of dire need, or an emergency, magick can be worked anytime, regardless of moon phase. Intent is the vital component in that case.

Waxing moon/waning moon. According to one's need, whether to draw something to us, or banish something from us, we should know what the moon is doing at the time. A waxing moon is growing is size, ever increasing its power. Stands to reason then, to increase something in your life, be it money, good health, a better way to do something, working with the waxing moon will aid in this attempt. Want to get rid of negative influences, a bad habit, poor health, then the waning moon will be beneficial in drawing these things away from us.

http://www.blingcheese.com/image/code/4/full+moon.htm

The moon is a symbol of the Goddess. In all her glory; beauty, strength, concern, justice. Typically, we see the moon in three forms, referred to as the Triple Goddess. During the New Moon phase, she is the Maiden, young, pure. As the Moon gets closer to and achieves Fullness, she is the Mother, nurturing, loving, protective. The moon begins to wane, inevitably to lose the strong vital power, but attains the status of Crone, wise, strong in a different, but important way. Gradually the Moon disappears from view, to the Dark stage. Still there, the power is generally not accessed during this phase, but can be utilized under special circumstances.

An Esbat is the ritual that centers around the moon. Generally, most Wiccans observe the Full Moon Esbat, and concentrate their important spellwork then. New Moon Esbats are also performed. Personally, I usually observe the Full Moon Esbat only. Esbats can be as simple, or as ceremonial as one wants. When the weather is fine, during Summer and Autumn, I love to celebrate the Full Moon outdoors. Sometimes just a simple lighting of a silver candle and a meditation. Othertimes, a bonfire, and dancing. It depends often on the magickal need. In these cold cloudy winter months, I light a fire in the fireplace and do whatever spell work or meditation I need to. Often, I go for weeks without even a glimpse of the moon due to inclement weather.

As a solitary practitioner of Wicca, I can choose what form my Esbats take from month to month. It truly is a wonderful way to connect with the Goddess.  Tonight's Full Moon, called the Cold Moon, or Wolf Moon will be just as soothing and beautiful as a big old summer moon.  If you can see the moon in your neck of the woods, be sure to take some time to contemplate her beauty, mystery and strength.

Blessed Be!    Robin.

Strange Orb in the Sky

You will not believe what I have seen this morning. A very rare sighting. At first I was not sure that I was witnessing this unusual celestial event. Just a tiny glimpse, then suddenly, as if a supernova exploded....the backyard was filled with the brightest glowing light I have ever seen (at least since a month ago or so). Yes! Sun. Beautiful golden warming sunshine. It truly is a spectacular blessing, on a morning when the mercury took a major dive into the single digits and below. A burst of energy!  What a glorious moment.

Strange Orb on a Winter's Day

"January opens
The box of the year
And brings out days
That are bright and clear
And brings out days
That are cold and grey
And shouts, "Come see
What I brought today!"

-  Leland B. Jacobs, January

 photograph by Robin Larkspur

Sunday Sampler

I wanted to share some photographs that our dear family friend, Chris sent me via email.  He has a great eye and a natural flair for capturing exquisite scenes from nature.

Pinecones on a snowy tree at Onondaga Community College

The stream that runs through our neighborhood

Frosted Post

Sunrise at Otisco Lake, New York

Sun Rising at Otisco Lake

We are experiencing more heavy snowfall today, and the thermometer is supposed to drop tonight to 2 degrees F tonight. May I just say, ACK!!!!!

I received some interesting comments and suggestions about the use of the funny little wooden "tray"/storage piece I wrote about earlier this week. The general consensus being that it was most likely built for sewing/knitting. Several suggestions encouraged using it as an altar; also suggested as a buffet accessory, or for gardening. I will not be taking it back to the thrift store, and will continue to debate how to use it. Thanks for all the ideas!!

Have a beautiful Sunday, and blessings to all.    Robin.

Friday, Out the Window

12 degrees F, at 6:30 am, and the sky is not light yet. Snowflakes, tiny at first, larger, fluffier by the second. Finally, to the east there is a slight lessening of dark. Soon the birdfeeders start filling up with small flitting movements, and hesitant chit chat. Seed hulls drift below, to the icy encrusted snow, to be gone over later by the mourning doves.

The old Yule tree, planted into the snow, slightly tilted, becomes the morning spot for the birds and their riotous kaffee-klatch. Mostly house sparrows, juncos and chickadees, soon joined by house finch, American gold finch, and the occasional dove. Fortunately, no sign of the hawk. The crows have done their duty, keeping the swooping thief away from the feeders.

No sign of a sunrise, other than the sky is a very light gray now. The snow is falling steadily. The birds continue their breakfast revelry and I step away from the window, on Friday to begin my own morning rituals.

It is definitely winter; and visit Mrs B today

Like Thor and his Hammer, Neptune and his Trident, Zeus and his Lightning Bolt::::::I present Nicarus and his Giant Icicle:

A cold wintry snowy January day. Keeping the wood stove burning, hot coffee brewing and a beef stew simmering. 

Please go to Mrs B's blog today. She has a very important post concerning injustice in Malawi. click here

Your Suggestions, Please--What is This??

So the declutterfest is continuing and making progress!  But look what I found in a corner.

I got this last summer at the thrift store.  It is handmade, very nicely put together.  I thought it was something I could find a use for at home. It is too small to be a side table as demonstrated next.

Son nicarus employs "this" as a fast food holder

It is not easily carried around, as the top part is too wide to use as a handle. The three slots are curious to me. Was this meant as perhaps a sewing aid? Buttons and pins and whatnots on the top, sewing items on the bottom? I suppose it could be used as a magazine holder, but too large for the bathroom, too small for the living room. And again, what about those three little spaces on top?

Another view for your contemplation

Any suggestions as to what this might have originally been built for? Any ideas what I could use it for now? I may have to take it back to the thrift store if I can't figure out how I can make use of it..  Danged if I know.

Wiccan Reads--The Way of the Green Witch

Finding inspiration is just a step away to my bookshelf. I purchased this lovely book by Arin Murphy-Hiscock about three years ago.  The Way of the Green Witch, Rituals, Spells, and Practices to Bring You Back to Nature (Provenance Press, Adams Media, Avon, Massachusetts, 2006) has been a real boon for me over the last few days. I am attempting to bring order, serenity and smooth-flowing energy into our home.  It is a large undertaking; there are other people living here, some are neat, some are not. And I have "stuff" everywhere.

What is a Green Witch? In Arin Murphy-Hiscock's introduction she writes: The way of the green witch is the path of the naturalist, the herbalist, the wisewoman, and the healer. (p.ix) This practice is usually solitary, highly individualized and free form. The green witch uses "natural elements to improved the well-being of the physical body, the spirit and soul, and the environment." (p. x) This is a difficult task in today's world. The urban life, the cities, industry, the chaos that is found everywhere; these elements hardly make for a peaceful naturalist's way of life. But there are many ways to live in harmony with this environment, and it all begins in the witch's own home.

The author writes in a simple, easy to follow style, not cobbling us with massive narratives of jargon and deep, philosophical ramblings, as is the case with some pagan books I have waded through. She is concise without being dry, and it is a pleasurable, informative, inspirational read.

Chapter titles include: Elements of the Green Witch Path, Listening to the Earth, The Four Seasons, Twigs, Leaves, Stars and Stones, Crafting Green Witch Magic, The Garden of the Green Witch, The Green Witch in the Kitchen; and several more chapters. I pretty much read three quarters of this book the other evening. I was in my glider rocker, the fire was crackling away in the fireplace and as I read, I realized this book had so much to offer me in regards to creating the environment I so desperately want in my home. I truly felt connected to this Green Witch's words and ideas. Although the Green Witch's path is not the Wiccan path, there are many similarities and common goals of both paths.

Included in this book are tips on cleansing and purification of the home, using the four elements (earth, air, fire, water) in a more personal way, creating shrines and altars and lessons to help you become attuned with your neighborhood, town, and other environments...this and so much more have really given me such a boost and enthusiasm for creating the atmosphere I want.

I expect to be referring to this book quite often over the next few weeks and am so happy that I came across it as I was re-organizing my shelves.

http://karenswhimsy.com

The Trouble with Mondays

The trouble with, "A place for everything and everything in its place" is that there's always more everything than places.  ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

Yep, still working on this decluttering situation, of which I do not wish to speak. Have a good day!!!

Announcing the Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered my First Ever Giveaway! Lovely comments were left, and I have to say this was a lot of fun. And now for the winner:

The entries are placed into my cauldron

Stirred around with my wand

Son nicarus, with eyes closed, reaches in

mxtodis123 is the winner!

Congratulations to MXTODIS123! Mary has a lovely blog, Avalon Revisited, which you can find here 
Mary, please email me with your snail mail info within three days. I am looking forward to sending your prizes off to you.

Blessings to all!!!   Robin

Final Day to Enter the Giveaway!

The First Ever Giveaway at Wiccan Writes closes tonight at 7:00 pm EST. The winner will be announced Sunday, January 9th sometime before noon est.

What's black and white and read all over?

Today's newspaper, The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) had three articles of interest to me. Firstly, and most importantly, an article about a forum held at a high school in our area that is involving students in learning about the diversity of religions and how these diversities can enrich us, as opposed to raising conflicts. The focus of the forum was to demonstrate how various religions have a commonality, and to not allow the differences to raise barriers. There were six local religious leaders ( representing the Catholic, Sikh, Jewish, Baptist, and Islam faiths) brought together by the organization "Interfaith Works" who wanted to engage in discussion with the students about finding what religions have in common, and to dispel myths and misinformation about other religions. Ending falsehoods and myths would certainly cause enhanced relations between people.  I applaud this forum and hope to see more like this in the near future at other schools and venues. And it would be even greater to see people of pagan religions represented as well. Education and civil discussions would do much to bring about tolerance for those who worship differently.

The second article causes me concern because it seems heartless and mercenary. I think most of us are aware of the recent reports of vast numbers of birds around the world that have fallen dead from the skies. Possible caused of this mass extermination range from lightning, fireworks and simple disorientation. There have also been millions of fish washed upon the shores of various oceans and seas, dead.  In a brief blurb in the paper under a caption of Aflockalypse Now, we are told an Irish bookmaker named Paddy Power is taking bets on which country will be next to see large numbers of dead birds, and the next marine life to die en masse.  Nature has seen these kinds of mass exterminations before, sometimes explained, sometimes not. Some would like to see this as the beginning of the end of days for the Earth. As a Wiccan I am terribly saddened by these deaths, and hope it is not the result of a human-caused event. No matter the cause, or the species, these deaths hardly deserve to be a source of entertainment and mockery by the humans among us who always seem to turn up in the face of disaster.

Lastly, this from the entertainment world. With a name like Season of the Witch a new movie being released today sounds like something a witch like me would love. After reading about it and a couple of reviews I am not so sure. I never make a judgment about a movie until I have actually seen it. But from the description I wonder if I do want to see it. It is about a pair of 14th century knights (Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman) recently returned from the Crusades who are sent to escort a woman accused of being a witch and who has apparently caused the Black Plague. There are battles and suspenseful intrigues, and the main characters "learn the witch's dark secrets".  Oh well. I think I will place on my Netflix "save" list and watch it when it comes out on DVD. Maybe someone will see it at the theatre and let me know if it is worth the trip and the ticket price.




Two more days till my Giveaway ends. Click on the picture above on the sidebar to find out more, and to enter!!!

Crop Circles in the Snow

Cold and snowy, but a little sun teases us now and again. My dogs are making "crop circles" in the snow, patterns of footprints all over the place. We stuck the Yule Tree in the snow beside one of our bird feeding stations. At first, the birds did not like it, but now they are hiding inside the branches, and having long discussions. We will see how long the tree lasts.

The Yule Tree is Now a Bird Hide-Out

Short post today, as the "declutterfest" continues. My son, nicarus is home on winter break from college, and I want to take advantage of his strong arms and unflagging cheerfulness!!


My first giveaway ends this Saturday, January 8th. Click on the photo on the sidebar at the top to read all about it and enter!!

Wiccan Rites---DeclutterFest

In my Sunday newspaper, the joyous news was proclaimed:  January is National Get Organized Month. Already? It seems that from October till about  three days ago, all I have done, is drag boxes out of the basement, decorate, re-decorate, put away, and decorate some more.  The last box has been heaved carefully placed back into its regular spot for the next 11 months, until we do it all over again.

So this January organizational thing: is it really a conspiracy to sell us all those lovely containers, tubs, baskets, shelving and other denizens of storage and display? Nevertheless, organization is a good thing, clutter is not. Especially if you are Wiccan.

Negativity is a bad thing. It hides in the corners, under rugs, filing itself away in all the stacked up mail, papers, books, lingering in the piles and teetering towers of the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life. Negative energy that is hovering in the house is one of the main causes of discomfort, restlessness, sadness, depression and these feelings can snowball into anger, unhappiness, arguments and more. 

Spellwork and rituals cannot work in a cluttered, disorganized, messy environment. Energies need clean lines and straight unobstructed paths to do their job. Sacred space requires a cleansed and consecrated atmosphere. The witch requires a rested and focused frame of mind. So housekeeping is an important practice, both physically and spiritually. There are times, though when clutter just gets out of hand, especially during these last three months of non-stop holiday activities.

 

Please don't feed the dust bunnies.  ~Author Unknown

Some people are just naturally neat and tidy. A place for everything, everything in its place. I am not one of these people.  I have to really work at it. It has been a drudgery. But now, as I incorporate my Wiccan practices into all aspects of my life, I find that I need and want to keep things organized. Changing my attitude, turning normal everyday routine activities into a spiritual practice makes life a lot smoother. I still have a ways to go to become "naturally" neat, but as they say, Rome wasn't  built in a day, and neither were these diehard habits of mine.

Now it is time to welcome the new year, take a deep breath and dive into the clutter and feel the positive energies flowing. And that is a good thing.

If you haven't already, enter my giveaway by leaving a comment.  The Giveaway ends Saturday, January 8th.

First Ever Giveaway!

Greetings One and All!  Announcing the First Ever Giveaway at Wiccan Writes!   Yes indeed, I am happy to be blogging, and having such friendly followers. It has been gratifying to receive great comments on my posts, and to have people appreciate the work and words.  Blogging has not been easy for me, first from the "techy" side, as I am not too computer savvy. I have had assistance from my dear husband, my daughter and son, and from observing other blogs. I am much more at ease now, and ready to learn some "advanced" techniques.

My goal for this blog was simply to write thoughts, ideas, and daily experiences to help me with my Wiccan path, and to demonstrate that living as a Wiccan can be fun, inspiring, wonderful, nerve-wracking, happy, serious, that I am not a "wacky airhead", demented, perverse or odd.  I am a regular person, who happens to be a witch, and who practices a religion that is not quite mainstream.

Anyhooo, I would like to thank my followers with this giveaway I have put together. I hope you will be interested in entering to win the following:

Llewellyn's 2011 Magical Almanac. There's a calendar section, featuring festivals and holidays, 2011 sabbats for by Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and Full Moons. It is filled with practical spells, rituals, daily correspondences, articles written by noteworthy pagans. This is will be handy for all levels of practitioners. Non-pagans will find it interesting and useful as well.

Dancing With Dragons, by D.J. Conway. This book is from my personal library, and I think you will find it fascinating whether you wish to add Dragons to your practice, or just as a fun, informational read. I enjoyed reading about dragon magic and though I do not work with dragons, I always want to learn as much as I can about other practices. 

These tiny candles, one silver, one gold are perfect for your altar, for spell work and rituals. I have included the sweet holders as well. I love using these small candles, and they are available in a wide array of colors. I chose silver and gold, of course, to represent the God and the Goddess.

I am putting together a charm for my winner. It starts with this shimmery little bag, and will include a fairy stone (shown) and a selection of herbs and stones for protection.  I will charge it with positive energy, and then when you receive it, please charge it with your own power and intention.

I am including a selection of incense sticks from my collection. I love using incense for spell work, rituals, sabbats and esbats, for cleansing and consecrating, and sometimes for no reason other than it smells great!

Robin Larkspur could not have a giveaway without including something chocolate.  Need I say more?


So here are the rules.  Basically no rules, LOL!!!  Just be a follower, or sign on to follow.  Leave a comment that you would like to enter my giveaway. This giveaway is open internationally. It will close on Saturday January 8th.  I will announce the winner Sunday January 9th.  The winner will have 3 days to respond. If  I do not receive a response, I will choose a new winner.  Please make sure that you leave either an email address, or have a blog that has contact info. 

The First Ever GiveAway

Hope you all like the giveaway!!! Looking forward to sending it to the winner!!!!   Blessings,  Robin.

The Professor

This morning during my usual blog and coffee fest, I was reading Patti Wigington's blog http://paganwiccan.about.com/  and discovered with delight that today is JRR Tolkien's birthday. I do not know about anyone else, but for me, Tolkien's Hobbit life drew me in and allowed me to connect with the world of Faerie as I never thought I could. As a tiny child I loved dreaming of and talking to fairies and brownies, wishing I could meet an elf or a leprechaun. My imaginary world was full of all things fae.  When I found Tolkien in my teens, I was elated and enchanted.  And of course, Peter Jackson's movies were beautifully rendered, satisfactorily providing me with hours of giddy enjoyment (not to mention, I found Viggo Mortensen so very, very, well, Very. (even if he didnt portray an elf)!

Patti's blog directs us to a link for the Tolkien society:    http://www.tolkiensociety.org/toast/2011/

At 9:00 pm EST, I will be joining in to toast the Professor. A small thing perhaps, but it thrills me to do so.

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/assets/contributor/tolkien%24jrr_lres.gif

And tomorrow, Tuesday, January 4th, I will be announcing the first ever Giveaway here at Wiccan Writes. I am excited. I hope you will check it out.