A few of my favorite things...

I've been meaning to write this post for a long time... just because I look at some of these things every day, and yet, I don't use them. I feel strong connections to all of them... but don't know how to include them in my ritual (not that I do much in the way of formal ritual) or in my practices at all. I'm finally posting this... I suppose... because I was reading yesterday's post from NotHannah and not only have we come across the same found wands... but neither of us seem to use them much (although she has me beat, hands down, on that one... sounds like she actually DOES use hers...).


Here's my wand... I found it on a hike one day... and a very lucky day it was!

This is a seed pod of some sort that I found hiking in Costa Rica. I don't imagine it could even hold water, but I've thought of sealing it somehow... and yet I feel like I shouldn't change anything about it.

A holey stone... these are actually pretty common along the coast just north of here. This may not be the most spectacular one... but it's small enough to wear... I just have to get the string for it.

Although I don't often connect with hearts as symbols, I love this rock. I hope that doesn't suggest that I have a heart of stone! Baahaahaa... OK, I know I just *think* I'm funny...


And then there are shells. I can't tell you how many katrillion shells I have... in fact, I've been thinking that my first giveaway may be something along the lines of culling my collection... certainly some of these shells belong to people who could use them. Anyway, I'm off-topic. The first one I see as the perfect symbol of the feminine. The spiral construction of the shell, the pure white, the association (for me) with the moon... it's a phenomenal representation for me of the Goddess.

Oh... that's really a terrible picture... it's hard to tell how wonderful this shell is. Anyway, my last favorite found object is actually a 'class' of shells... intact bivalves, otherwise known as the "clam types" where both halves are still together. To me these are a strong representation of balance... something that is my lifelong homework. I tend to immerse myself in new stuff... I'm easily swept up in things that excite me... and so, keeping balance in my life is something I have to keep in mind... so these beauties show up in many places in my house, and definitely on my altars.


Do you guys have a lot of found objects that are meaningful to you? Do you use them in your magical work, and if so, how? Just curious...

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!