A Poem for May

"Yes, I will spend the livelong day
With Nature in this month of May;
And sit beneath the trees, and share
My bread with birds whose homes are there;
While cows lie down to eat, and sheep
Stand to their necks in grass so deep;
While birds do sing with all their might,
As though they felt the earth in flight."
-  William Henry Davies, In May  

image credit 

Four Fotos for Friday

Tiny blossoms on the new dogwood tree

Prolific flowering of forget-me-nots

Hostas under the weeping Japanese cherry tree

Welcome flag: a robin and red geraniums

Goings on around the Galaxy

Galactic gallivanting today because all kinds of interesting news items are calling for our attention.

Not this Milky Way, silly!

Our Home Galaxy (http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org)

First up, we start on our very own little planet, that "Third Rock from the Sun". So have you heard about this fellow who says the world is going to end on May 21st? His name is Harold Camping and through very mysterious calculations on his part from his own "interpretations" of the Bible, he has come up with the date for our Big Finale. Just so you aren't too worried, he has made this prediction before...many times. He keeps changing the date because of an error in his calculations.  To read an enlightening post on Camping's predictions, please click on this link to AmethJera's blog A Broom with a View

Now we move into Outer Space! The final launch of the shuttle Endeavor. Its mission days are just about over. How often in the past few years did we even know that there was a shuttle launch, or a mission? A lot of us have become rather blase about the shuttle space crafts. Space shuttle news is just so ho-hum. Far from the days when, as kids, we went running out into the streets at night to see the "Sputnik" passing by on its orbit, or "Skylab".  The thrill and mystery of the Space Program was so exciting. And now the last space shuttle mission is here and the news reported  the final docking of the Endeavor with the space station. Do you suppose everyone up there is saying things like: "This is the last time I will have breakfast in the shuttle"; "This is the last time we will change into our space suits in the shuttle." Maybe the next phase of the Space Program will stir up a little more excitement (that is, if it even gets off the ground.)

http://www.nasa.gov

Sputnik

Finally, for today's post on Galaxy Happenings is this intriguing discovery by our wily and ever-alert Earth scientists. Large single planets have been found that appear to have no orbit, or a very large, "loose" orbit. They apparently just roam around the Milky Way with no purpose or plan. Like Jupiter, they are huge gaseous bodies (and no I am not talking about republicans!). Certainly they can't be along the lines of the "Death Star" (from the Star Wars trilogy). Imagine that: Are aliens disguising their deadly "mother ships" as innocuous free-wheeling planets? I feel a Hollywood production may be in the works. Humor aside, though, I think it is incredible that there are so many wonderful and amazing things to discover in our Universe. It is exciting and shows us that there is so much more to be learned.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

from "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

Wiccan Reads--The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

"The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" by Katherine Howe is a must-read book! Beautifully written, this book takes place in Massachusetts and travels back and forth from the 1990s to the late 17th century. Knowing the time and location you must know this concerns the Salem Witch Trials. Indeed it does, but in a new and fascinating treatment.

Connie is a Harvard grad student immersed in historical research involving Colonial America. With an advisor of questionable motivations encouraging her to seek out a "new primary source" for her research, Connie begins an intriguing study into the lives of the women accused of witchcraft during that bleak era in our history. Connie's hippie-trippie mother, who lives in Santa Fe because of the awesome vibes, requests Connie to return to the family home in Marblehead MA to clean up the centuries-old delapidated struture and place it on the market. Through several odd episodes in the house, Connie begins to see connections between the house and the history of a woman named Deliverance Dane who was accused of witchcraft so long ago in Salem.

Painting a picture of the old Salem in a rich, bold manner, the author of this novel has obviously done extensive research into the life and times of the people, notably of the women, of that age. There are a few harrowing scenes that bring into focus the reality and horror of living back in a time of fear, betrayal, superstition and religious intolerance. The technique the author employs to take us from current times into the past is done seamlessly without halting the story.

This book moves solidly and tensely through a series of events, building suspense and anticipation, feeding us hints of what is to come and making it impossible to set the book down.

You will see witchcraft in a different light, and also live through a heart-breaking episode that makes the past come alive in an all too-real way. I highly recommend this book, urging you to read it at your earliest convenience. It is a stunning work.


"The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane", published by Hyperion, New York NY copyright 2009 by Katherine Howe.

author's website

Monday Medley--Deploy the Bumbershoots

The merry month of May is not so merry. April showers bring May...showers! We are certainly not as bad off as the folks dealing with the Mississippi River. But the gardens are definitely a bit worse for wear here. The weeds are flourishing, bless their little roots!  The weekend was too soggy for yard work and my husband was bemoaning the fact that the golf course was a no-go. And today is no better, with rain in the forecast all week. At least it's not snow!

bumbershoot

I survived the scary movie, barely. "Paranormal Activity 2" was spooky and disturbing. If you like "realistic"  ghost stories, this one is pretty good. Slow to start, but definitely picked up speed. I only made my husband stop it once for a short break to recover from one particular hideous scene. Give it a screaming.....er...I mean screening!

 

 

Scene From Paranormal Activity 2

 image credit

As we begin a new week, with all kinds of things to do, places to go, the Full Moon and sundry tasks I wanted to share something I am meditating on. Sometimes we get caught up in our mundane lives and our magickal lives don't receive the fullness of our attention. Has this happened to you? Too busy or otherwise occupied to cast a spell, write up a new ritual or just working within a magickal context. Sometimes feelings of inadequacy keeps us from working magick. For whatever reasons, there are times you think you just can't do it. I have been reading a book recommended by Aine over at The Deepest Well blog called "The Goodly Spell Book Olde Spells For Modern Problems" by Dixie Deerman and Steven Rasmussen (published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York NY, copyright 2005). In the chapter titled "Trust Your Magical Instincts" there is a wonderful paragraph that struck a chord with me. Maybe it will do the same for someone else.

"Trust yourself to be able to work magic.  If you ever feel inadequate to the task, banish the thought. Remind yourself that you have innate magical talents and myriad protective and spiritual instincts waiting to be tapped and sharpened."  (page 53, The Goodly Spell Book)

Keep this in mind, think about it and remember it. Don't doubt yourself. It's a goodly thing.

We survived

It seems the outage is over...the great blogger outage. I am sure it could have been a lot worse and a lot longer. Anyhoo, it is good to have everyone back; and it appears we didn't lose posts, though I did lose some comments before I could publish them.

Plans for the weekend include garden "stuff", installing ceiling fans in the bedrooms, playing with dogs and watching the scary dvd "Paranormal Activity 2" (in the daylight only). The first Paranormal Activity movie freaked me out. So why watch the second one?  Because I am an idiot!!  LOL!

Have a super weekend!

Twirling

Sometimes there is so much to write about, that I can't focus on anything to write about. Do you know what I mean? I have too many "irons in the fire" so to speak. My brain is cluttered right now, and sleeping at night is a problem because my mind is twirling with a hundred ideas.

archives.umc.org

I am in process at the moment of planning the flowers for my daughter's wedding, and literally, I get so many ideas, then forget them, then start over again. Sheesh! Definitely not panic time yet; I will have photos and plans soon to share.

weddingred.net

Regular gardening plans too: just ordered the bulbs from my favorite dutch bulb company http://brecks.com/Default.asp?  These will be delivered in October for autumn planting. crocus in a lovely shade of blue, three different kinds of daffodils, and three kinds of allium.  The ground temperature here is slowly rising, so once the temperatures stay above 50 degrees F for at least two weeks, we can start getting plants into the ground. I can't wait to get the sweet peas, sunflowers, zinnias, delphiniums, marigolds, impatiens, and many more planted. Both seeds and starts. We also have broccolli, cauliflower, squashes, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, brussel sprouts to get planted. Whew!

herdaily.com

I am still working on the Dreaded Craft Corner as well as organizing a place for spellwork. I have found shelves and little cupboards and boxes for storage for both craftwork and Craft Work. You know, crafty painting and decoupage and then Witchy spell casting and ritual. Crafts and The Craft.

http://thecoloringspot.com/ (craft)

mart-central.com(the Craft)

Organization takes time and thought. To put something in one place, something else must be moved. A place for everything and everything in its place. There's clutter and then there is CLUTTER!!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/135876.Good_Things_for_Organizing

Well I just need to breathe...focus......center. And spend some time communing with my backyard wild life, the beautiful moon and the Goddess.  Things are so much easier and smoother when you stop twirling and take time to Stop.

thepoeticlandscape.com