In the meantime, while we're waiting for my one year blogging anniversary (!), head on over to Mother Moon's to enter to win some really thoughtful items.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Mother Moon's Giveaway
Mother Moon is celebrating her first year anniversary of blogging! I can only hope that my blog will be as fulfilling for me as it seems to have been for her. I hope that keeping this journal for myself, in a way that I can get feedback from others, is going to help me in my journey...
In the meantime, while we're waiting for my one year blogging anniversary (!), head on over to Mother Moon's to enter to win some really thoughtful items.
In the meantime, while we're waiting for my one year blogging anniversary (!), head on over to Mother Moon's to enter to win some really thoughtful items.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Flower essences
I made flower essences this spring, and it was very gratifying. I really like to make my own "stuff" for health, ease, and ritual. Flower essences turned out to be REALLY easy... just harvest the flower (preferably JUST the flower, no stem or bugs), I tried to choose especially healthy and unblemished ones.
These were some of the first ones, when I was putting them in bowls full of shallow water and covering them with plastic to keep debris out. I didn't love using plastic, even though it never touched the flowers or water... I'm sure ya'll understand... anyway, later I started using glass jars with lids.
It's good to harvest the flowers early in the day, put them in a small amount of water (ultimately, given that I was doing this for personal use, I didn't need much, less than a cup of water), and set them out in the sun to soak. The idea is that the essence of the flower will mix with the water, then they can be strained and bottled, and the energy of the plant is still there.
After everything sat in the sun for at least four hours, preferably longer, I filtered the water through a coffee filter, into dark glass dropper bottles that were half full of glycerine (food grade, available at health food stores).
These are the "mother essences" from which I can make smaller bottles of a single essence, or I can mix essences. For example, I made a sleep mixture for the kids of miner's lettuce, lavender, and borage. I should mention here that I did not follow published associations of the flowers. After I bottled them I sat and meditated with each one, and noting what came to me as the essence of that particular flower.
If you're interested in flower essences I got most of my information from the Bach Flower website (the makers of the infamous Rescue Remedy... love that stuff!, but these essences primarily come from flowers commonly found in Europe), and from the Flower Essence Society website (primarily United States flowers).
These were some of the first ones, when I was putting them in bowls full of shallow water and covering them with plastic to keep debris out. I didn't love using plastic, even though it never touched the flowers or water... I'm sure ya'll understand... anyway, later I started using glass jars with lids.
It's good to harvest the flowers early in the day, put them in a small amount of water (ultimately, given that I was doing this for personal use, I didn't need much, less than a cup of water), and set them out in the sun to soak. The idea is that the essence of the flower will mix with the water, then they can be strained and bottled, and the energy of the plant is still there.
After everything sat in the sun for at least four hours, preferably longer, I filtered the water through a coffee filter, into dark glass dropper bottles that were half full of glycerine (food grade, available at health food stores).
These are the "mother essences" from which I can make smaller bottles of a single essence, or I can mix essences. For example, I made a sleep mixture for the kids of miner's lettuce, lavender, and borage. I should mention here that I did not follow published associations of the flowers. After I bottled them I sat and meditated with each one, and noting what came to me as the essence of that particular flower.
If you're interested in flower essences I got most of my information from the Bach Flower website (the makers of the infamous Rescue Remedy... love that stuff!, but these essences primarily come from flowers commonly found in Europe), and from the Flower Essence Society website (primarily United States flowers).
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
My kitchen altar
So, I thought I'd introduce myself a bit by way of posting about some of my altars. I'll start with the kitchen...
My kitchen altar is dedicated to Hestia, and thus has a red "cauldron" with a black grounding stone underneath. I have an iron toy grinder, representing ye olde kitchen "gadgetry". I made the clay cauldron and Goddess a long time ago especially for this altar. Hestia doesn't have many representations, other than fire, as she was a hearth goddess, whose worship appears to have been so ingrained in everyday life that little was left to tell her story. In this sense, I really like having Hestia as a Goddess in my house... she is what she is to me... and in some ways that's easier when I don't feel like I'm going "against" others' perceptions.
I have the tiny flowers in the vase, usually daisies. The cauldron is full of dried rose petals symbolizing love coming from my hearth. The fairy card is just there because I like it ;)
The following is a picture of my season table all set up for Spring. I like to make felted dolls of wire and wool, and my season "fairies" are my favorite of all. They're the only ones I don't let the kids play with. Some of the props such as the amethyst and larger branches are consistent from season to season, but others change. The doll in this picture is a maiden in spring... and she's pouring meadow flowers from her cornucopia. The strawberry children are present, representing the early fruits and other crops.
I love keeping up with my season table... although speaking of it, I should go change it to summer! I'll post pictures again when it's made the metamorphosis!
My kitchen altar is dedicated to Hestia, and thus has a red "cauldron" with a black grounding stone underneath. I have an iron toy grinder, representing ye olde kitchen "gadgetry". I made the clay cauldron and Goddess a long time ago especially for this altar. Hestia doesn't have many representations, other than fire, as she was a hearth goddess, whose worship appears to have been so ingrained in everyday life that little was left to tell her story. In this sense, I really like having Hestia as a Goddess in my house... she is what she is to me... and in some ways that's easier when I don't feel like I'm going "against" others' perceptions.
I have the tiny flowers in the vase, usually daisies. The cauldron is full of dried rose petals symbolizing love coming from my hearth. The fairy card is just there because I like it ;)
The following is a picture of my season table all set up for Spring. I like to make felted dolls of wire and wool, and my season "fairies" are my favorite of all. They're the only ones I don't let the kids play with. Some of the props such as the amethyst and larger branches are consistent from season to season, but others change. The doll in this picture is a maiden in spring... and she's pouring meadow flowers from her cornucopia. The strawberry children are present, representing the early fruits and other crops.
I love keeping up with my season table... although speaking of it, I should go change it to summer! I'll post pictures again when it's made the metamorphosis!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Ooohhh! The fairies told me secrets!
...and I left them strawberries and milk for their whispers...
I spent a little time meditating tonight... really making midsummer the climax of bringing in new things, so that the shortening days can be used for integrating and settling. It's been a big year of opening up, of shedding who I am not, and embracing who I am.
The fairies told me secrets of balance... tonight I could really feel movement toward my feminine and masculine sides being more balanced, I could feel myself releasing the hatred of some of my feminine aspects (like the fact that I wear my heart on my sleeve). I have also been able to feel more balance between the Earth Mother type of love, and the Sun Father type of love... while he has a hearty type of love, she carries a nurturing one... and both are so wonderful. Thank you Mother, thank you Father. I'm sure I'll expound on all of the places I can see this balance coming to me in future posts... it's a theme of this year, I think.
Blessed Be!
I spent a little time meditating tonight... really making midsummer the climax of bringing in new things, so that the shortening days can be used for integrating and settling. It's been a big year of opening up, of shedding who I am not, and embracing who I am.
The fairies told me secrets of balance... tonight I could really feel movement toward my feminine and masculine sides being more balanced, I could feel myself releasing the hatred of some of my feminine aspects (like the fact that I wear my heart on my sleeve). I have also been able to feel more balance between the Earth Mother type of love, and the Sun Father type of love... while he has a hearty type of love, she carries a nurturing one... and both are so wonderful. Thank you Mother, thank you Father. I'm sure I'll expound on all of the places I can see this balance coming to me in future posts... it's a theme of this year, I think.
Blessed Be!
Happy Summer Solstice!
I know that solstice started yesterday at sundown... but between one of my kids having a birthday on Saturday, and a family BBQ on Father's Day... I'm just running a bit behind.
So far I've spent the day making jam and baking bread... (sorry, not a great picture, but my kitchen has horrible mid-day light)...
And bringing in some flowers from outside for the table...
I also collected some nasturtium seeds and some sweet pea seeds from my spring plants that are starting to die back. I've got a bunch... so if you want any just let me know! I'd be happy to send them out to anyone who send me an email address... hel-lo-lo-lo! :)
For dinner tonight we're going to eat outside. We're having salad greens with strawberries, sprouts, and chicken... with the bread I made earlier (I really think they are beautiful little sun orbs if-I-do-say-so-myself). I hope that we'll be able to have a fire tonight in the fire pit in our yard. I don't have a lot planned in the way of ritual, just writing a few things on paper that I'm ready to release and letting them go into the fire. My rituals lately tend to be very informal and impromptu.
Happy Solstice!
So far I've spent the day making jam and baking bread... (sorry, not a great picture, but my kitchen has horrible mid-day light)...
And bringing in some flowers from outside for the table...
I also collected some nasturtium seeds and some sweet pea seeds from my spring plants that are starting to die back. I've got a bunch... so if you want any just let me know! I'd be happy to send them out to anyone who send me an email address... hel-lo-lo-lo! :)For dinner tonight we're going to eat outside. We're having salad greens with strawberries, sprouts, and chicken... with the bread I made earlier (I really think they are beautiful little sun orbs if-I-do-say-so-myself). I hope that we'll be able to have a fire tonight in the fire pit in our yard. I don't have a lot planned in the way of ritual, just writing a few things on paper that I'm ready to release and letting them go into the fire. My rituals lately tend to be very informal and impromptu.
Happy Solstice!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Shall we?
I'm not sure to whom I am speaking... as it's just me here... alone... right now...
But I am on a path, not entirely sure which way I'm going... maybe this way... maybe that... it likely doesn't matter much...
I am a mother, I am hoping to start an energy healing practice next year, I am pagan, and learning more about the truth within myself. I am not sure how to go about all of this... integrating these parts, folding together the day-to-day activity with the energy practice and the spirituality. I suppose that is what this blog will be about... mostly... I'm really not sure. I just know that I'm here, that I feel that this is a good way to reach out and connect with like minds... to use that web that exists between us all, to tug the strings and bring to myself people and ideas which will enhance my personal growth. If you are one of these people, blessings... let us begin...
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