Fairy gifts...

Over the winter I planted a few cool-weather veggies and sowed some seeds into my garden boxes... mostly flowers... just hoping for something to fill the box. We have mild winters, in fact, Feb-May is sort of the natural growing season here. Then the rains stop and things get dry.

(As planted in November)

Anyway, the plants were decimated by snails/slugs/whatever and none of the flower seeds sprouted... although some mysterious plants grew in one box. I thought they looked like potatoes... but couldn't imagine how that would happen... although, maybe I put some compost in there? I just don't remember... but somewhere around April I realized that they actually were potatoes... and I started tending them!

But, I went out yesterday to find that the snails were after them again... so I thought it was probably time to harvest them...

And... there they were! Little golden orbs of food, given as a gift, something I did very little to support. I giggled as I dug in the dirt with my hands... pulling out these magical little treasures! I so love gardening.

In my mind I could hear the fairies laughing with me. I knew that these were gifts for us. I felt so amazingly light and happy... I felt connected and blessed and full of gratitude.

The kids and I left offerings to the fairies last night... I hope they had a party to celebrate!

Candles

I don't know about ya'll but my family can use some coming together. I think it's some uncertainty as school ends (my kids are in 1st grade and preschool)... and for the 7-year-old the trial-and-error process of trying on new personas and figuring out who she is. These things come together to make us feel like we're going in a million directions, and we lose our harmony.

As I've become somewhat re-inspired to do more magic... I thought that a spell for familial harmony was in order. I chose colors of candles for each of us, and one in the middle to represent family. I put an spiral of ribbon (yellow because *I* associate it with balance... and there's that 2011 New Year's word again...). The small individual candles are intended to "feed" the taller family candle with those things that each of us bring to make our family what it is. With balance and harmony we will uplift ourselves, each other, and our family unit to be united for our common good.


I was very careful when choosing the words for my spell NOT to make this a binding. The intention was VERY clearly to allow the individuals to be individuals that contributed some energy of themselves to the family group in order for the family to function in its highest well-being.

It didn't make us all get along beautifully, or anything, but I do think that it reduced a little tension about the partitioning that was going on... "I don't have to clean that up, I didn't get it out"... or "but that's not mine". We've been talking a lot about chores in a context of caring for our objects and cooperating as a family so that our house runs smoothly. Sometimes they seem to understand, and sometimes they don't!

Unfortunately for me, their favorite way to help is actually to "help" me cook... which I like the idea of... but it's not really helping... which you know all about if you have or have had small children in the kitchen.

Resurgence

Today has driven me to my books... I mean... it's perfect book weather. Don't get me started about how it's June though... and the kids get out for SUMMER VACATION next week... *sigh*...

It's not just raining... it's stormy... windy...


Anyway, I went back to my shelf of magic books... and coincidentally we had a picnic on the living room floor in front of a fire...

...and I started thinking about candle magic. It's never really fit for me before... I didn't feel connected to the idea. But now... I don't know... maybe it's the dark and wet days... but I think I'm feeling it.

I have two books on candle magic, Raymond Buckland's Practical Candleburning Rituals, and Patricia Telesco's Mastering Candle Magick. I think I prefer the latter, but I'll let you know as soon as I get a chance to really look through the books. I've lit candles and made a few oils for my oil burners... I'll share those next time too. The kiddos are needing some attention... wanting to make paint butterflies. I guess they're dreaming of summer too!