The Old Crones

A blessed Samhain to my sisters here.
The Wild Hunt Blog has a lovely write up on Samhain, so here is the link:
http://www.wildhunt.org/2008/10/bl…

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To all who are doing ritual tonight, may your workings bring good things to you and those in your family and tribe. If you feel so inclined, feel free to post about your rituals.

May the thinning of the veil bring those who have passed close to you this eve.

Hey :)
I've got a stack of books that may be of interest to some here. I thought I'd offer them up to y'all before I put them on Paperbackswap. These are older and certainly not in pristine condition. Some I've probably bought second hand.

House Magic: A Guide to Bringing Grace to Your Space by Ariana, isbn 076073321X, hardback

Teachings Around the Sacred Wheel: Finding the Soul of the Dreamtime by Lynn V. Andrews, isbn 0062500228

The Book of Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Health and Longevity by Judith H. Morrison, isbn 0684800179

Love Magic by Marina Medici, isbn 0671796844

Native Wisdom: Perceptions of The Natural Way by Ed McGaa/Eagle Man, isbn 0964517310

Of Witches: Celebrating The Goddess As A Solitary Pagan by Janet Thompson, isbn 0877287627

Sex Magick: A Classic of Erotic Mysticism by Louis T. Culling, isbn 0875421105

The Talisman Magick Workbook by Kala & Ketz Pajeon, isbn 0806513667

Ancient Rites & Ceremonies by Keith Murray, no isbn #, published 1980 by Tutor Press, Canada

Crystal Power: Llewellyn’s Psi-Tech Series by Michael G Smith, isbn 0875427251

The Dance: Moving to the Rhythms of Your True Self by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, isbn 0062516930

"I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."

(Albert Einstein, 1954)

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I find I identify deeply with this comment.
Share?

Self-discipline is not my strong suit. It's generally not that I can't keep myself from doing something I want to. It's that "want to" usually trumps "shouldn't" because I'm a sensualist, self-indulgent whore.

As we approach the upcoming full moon, I've been "reinforcing" my ability and willingness to do what I "should" because it is what I want. This kind of self-trickery is usually pretty successful with me. The highly fluid nature of my organic thought-process, and the highly annoying nature of my stress at this moment, make it really hard for me to concentrate on anything other than affirmations, words of power, and other brief rituals.

Things are beginning to surface (thank you kundalini yoga) that need to, and I've been pretty good at staying on the no-booze wagon this weekend. Fell completely off the no-cigarettes wagon weeks ago, and while that's a bigger over-all concern, on a day to day basis, the booze is a huge distraction.

As we pass through the full moon, I'm planning on putting some things in place in my living space to make it easier to stay focused on the things I need to be focused on right now. Then, as we get into and start moving through the waning moon, I'm planning on using that energy to help me stop smoking. I'm a cold turkey kind of girl. We'll see how this goes.

Today is both Lughnasadh (by my reckoning) and the New Moon in Leo, which is marked this year by a total solar eclipse.

What do y'all do for the first harvest?

As with all the sabbats, I spend some time outdoors, cook a seasonal feast for my wee tribe, and try to find ways of expressing what I believe to be the underlying message of the sabbat. Because Lughnasadh is traditionally the first harvest of the year, it is time to give thanks for the bounty in our lives and to share it with others. Since it is also the time of year that food banks tend to receive the fewest donations, it seems to me to be a good time to gather together a couple of sacks of good, nutritious food to donate.

Of course, there are local traditions to uphold as well. As in so many towns around the country, there is a county fair in my town. For nostalgia's sake, I might pop in one evening for a cotton candy and a turn on my favorite childhood fair ride, the Zipper, but the heat is often enough to keep me away. Also, because so many leases begin on the first of August in my hometown, the last day of July is Moving Day, when thousands of renters play the annual game of musical apartments. All the changes in residence have spawned another tradition over the years: scouring the curbs and alleys for discarded furniture and other household goods. Some have suggested that our town make this tradition official by designating it as Free Giveaway Weekend. Since I set out stuff every year, whether I am moving or not, I think it is a grand idea.

Credit to Tarotlaydee for sharing this with me:

A Crone's Creed

1.) I will be mindful, living in the moment and fully aware of my surroundings. I will not dwell on the past or worry about the future. I will focus on what I am doing while I am doing it. I will attune myself to the world around me, the most powerful source of magic, strength and wisdom. The sky above and
the Earth below, the Moon and the trees, all have wisdom to impart.

2.) I will treat others with respect and I will practice compassion. I will try to remember that there is a spark of the Divine in each and every one of us, and that we are all worthy of respect and kindness. Patience and compassion for others at difficult times can have a profoundly healing effect, on others and for
ourselves.

3.) I will be good to myself. I will treat my physical metabolism with the reverence it deserves, honoring this singular, magical vessel with the best offerings available, good healthy food, fresh air and clean water, pleasant surroundings and happy activities such as meditation, rambling in the woods, yoga, Tai Chi,
ecstatic dancing, singing, chanting and laughing. I will remember that happy and ecstatic experiences have great healing powers and that my body is as much a part of my magical work as my mind is.

4.) I will learn to accept and love myself, and in so doing be healed. We did not choose the families we were born into, and we did nothing whatsoever to deserve any physical and emotional abuse meted out to us as children. No matter what has been said about us, we are good and beautiful spirits, worthy of love and acceptance. I choose the path of healing, and I shall begin that healing by learning to love and accept myself.

5.) I will be good to the planet. The Old Wild Mother is strong and forgiving, but we have treated Her and Her creatures badly and our shabby thoughtless
treatment is straining Her ability to heal Herself. She needs our assistance and our love more than ever, and we can help Her much though environmental and animal activism, simplifying and recycling, organic gardening and conservation. We can spend our money carefully and use it to vote NO to pollution, pesticides, factory farming, strip mining, excess packaging, and the plundering of the wilderness and Her creatures. We can make a difference, and it is one of the most magical things we can do.

6.) I will try to live cheerfully with my medical condition, to be joyful and to learn any and all of the lessons which my illness may have to teach me.

7.) I will be tolerant of other beliefs and open to other beliefs. In the words of Morgan in The Mists of Avalon, It is all one, and all life-affirming paths to
the Divine are valid. I will not proselytize; neither will I criticize or judge the religious paths of others. I will be open to other teachers and belief systems, and I will share what little wisdom I have with others if they ask me to do so.

8.) I will remember that a life lived simply is beautiful. I will not worry about possessions, and I will rejoice in the natural beauties around me, the fragrance
of flowers, the sound of the wind in the trees, the taste of wild honey, the companionship of my clan and my animal familiars. From time to time I will do magic as the village wise women and healers of old did it without robes, tools and complex preparations, but with a profound connection to the earth and deep respect for all that moves on it.

9.) I will learn to rest in the arms of the Old Wild Mother and let it all go. I am a part of the glorious eternal dance, the great cosmic cycle of life, death and
rebirth, and I have nothing to fear. I will live my life quietly and with great joy, whether that life be short or long.

10.) Finally, I will express myself. From time to time, I will spontaneously break into ecstatic dancing and howling at the Moon. Once in a while, I shall feel free to be stubborn, curmudgeonly and downright obscene. If it is required for any reason, I shall also feel free to kick butt.


the Tarotlaydee )0(

The Church of All Worlds is grinding back into action, thanks to a fellow blogger here on LJ, one ericsilverbear. He made the announcement on his journal and I asked him if it would be all right if I pass this tasty nugget of information on to my sisters here. If you're interested in rejoining or joining, by all means go visit!

I'm assuming everyone here remembers CAW or at least knows about the org since we are, after all, Old Crones; however, if you aren't familiar with CAW, there seems to be a decent write-up on it at The Pagan Library.

Blessings,
Tin

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This was what I could grab out of my bookmarks today. Please feel free to share your links to sites that you think would be of interest.

So, um, am I the only person who gets annoyed by pagan-y bumper stickers declaring the earth a sacred place being in use by someone who is flicking cigarettes out of their window?

Seriously.

I wanted to get out of my truck, walk up to them, and inform them of their hypocrisy. It was that kind of day.

Or maybe I'm just on the rag.

Just wondering if I was alone. This is one reason I do not have bumper stickers on my car. *G*

booraven22 has been very kindly listing some of her books, and now I'd like to share three of my favorites that I've not seen yet on her lists:


OK, that link-making thingy isn't working for me. 


And have mercy.  When two Witches marry, the library overlap can be considerable.  Thankfully, our (previously my) daughter  tultema was willing to take some of the duplicates with her when she moved out (read:  a fair-sized pile of my books went missing when she did!).