Heading to Salem, Massachusetts

In less than 2 hours, I will be on the road with my husband and two children to Salem, Massachusetts. 

Even though I have lived in upstate NY for most of my life, I have never been there and am looking forward to seeing all the sights, but specifically I need to spend some time at the beach.

My husband asked me which day I wanted to go to the beach and I said, both. He laughed and said that we couldn't see Salem really well and go to the beach both days, there wasn't time. And I realized he was right (especially if I wanted to hit up the yarn shop). 

I will have pictures and stories to tell you on Monday, so until then; enjoy your weekend and be well!

Slan!

Pagan Books for the Experienced

Back in 1993, when I first started researching paganism and witchcraft, there was no internet (for me) and my local library had very little in the way of pagan books. 

Today have a plethora of resources, from the internet and through bookstores. It is a renaissance of writing on the topic, from different paths and specific gods to more in-depth topics beyond the Wicca 101 how-to guides, like that of the good Scott Cunningham (who was my first).

Interested in Brigid? May I suggest Tending Brigid's Flame: Awaken to the Celtic Goddess of Hearth, Temple, and Forge by Lunaea Weatherstone.

This book is a fantastic book that a beginner can get quite a bit from, but someone who has been practicing for a few years and hears Brigid call can learn quite a bit as well. The author touches on the christian background (perhaps a bit too much for me at times) and her more ancient background as well. She outlines sample ceremonies with a few lightly personal examples on how Brigid is kept alive in the authors life on a regular basis.

Another author for the more experienced pagan is Raven Grimassi. If you are interested in Strega, this is a great place to turn and he has many books out that may interest you. I actually ran into a bookstore in Laurel, Maryland where he had signed several, much to my joy.

His Hereditary Witchcraft: Secrets of the Old Religion was a fascinating read, as it delved into the various connections to history and any ancient sources for witchcraft (like Aradia) that he makes through his family lineage (in particular). It's a very easy to read book and if interested in studying something with some historical connection, it's a great addition to your library.

If you are a bit of a skeptic as to the magic part of witchcraft, a fantastic read is The Science of the Craft by William H. Keith. To be fair, I just started to read this because my education through Reiki and my personal history of manipulating and using energies to send healing and comforting energy towards people made me interested in quantum physics. Yes, I said that, quantum physics. He lays it out quite brilliantly and I think this book would make for a fantastic discussion for pagans/witches who have been practicing the craft for a while. It is extremely readable and Mr. Keith breaks the theories down brilliantly. (And if you have a Kindle and Prime on amazon, it is free to read on kindle unlimited.)

These are just three suggestions for people who have been around the pagan block a few times, like me. I hope you give them a chance and get something out of them. 

What do you suggest? 

What have you been reading?

Be well and Blessed Be!
Talia Ravenspath

What Is Your Go-To Gemstone?

Ahh gems. Stones. Minerals. Fossils. 

These all have the ability to resonate in different ways, and not everyone feels the vibrations the same. But I usually have at least one stone in my pocket (sometimes more). Not to mention what I'm wearing on my hand and around my neck.

What are your go-to's? And why?

For years, I have worn a moonstone ring on my hand. The moonstone is a great stone for inner growth and strength. It enhances psychic abilities and intuition. My hand would look strange to me without it, now. 

Some other stones that call to me are clear quartz stones, which are natural healers and cleansers of other stones. It is a fantastic stone for those interested in Reiki as it wo
rks really well to cleanse all the chakras and provide clarity of mind. 

Jaspers of all type are wonderful, but there are so many! Seriously!
But all of them are fantastic to encourage that connection to the mother earth and are stones of grounding and wisdom (as well as being beautiful). 

But what type of stones touch your heart and spirit? What stones call to you and why?

The stones that call to me are mostly healers because I am a natural energy healer, which is why I am drawn to Reiki. Certain stones can draw us to them because of the place we are in our life and development of our spirit. What lessons do we need to learn in this life? What are you going through right now? Are you riding high and need to keep some hematite nearby for grounding? Or are you struggling and need some rose quartz to keep your heart from giving up?

Each full moon, make sure you leave your stones out to charge them with the energy of the moon, even if the night is overcast. The energy of the moon recharges their natural vibrations each turn and helps us use them to their best effect until the following day.

Think about what stones draw you and why, this can help you identify what life lessons you are dealing with and can help you focus your intentions and spell settings so that you are helping yourself along your path. But most importantly, as always, be kind to yourself. Be compassionate. Not arrogant, but with humility just give those broken and scarred selves inside hugs. Because who doesn't need a little bit of a hug?

Blessed Be!
Talia Ravenspath

Finding a Local Coven

The title of this blog post is misleading. I am not going to write a how-to. Rather, I'm going to weigh in on what I've noticed, that there is a great need and call for teachers and covens in this country.

How do I know this?

Pagan Facebook pages.

On a daily basis, people are posting that they are looking for a teacher. And hey, I completely get it. I have been following the pagan, and oftentimes Wiccan, path for the past 25 years as mainly a solitary. It can feel like there is only so much you can learn from books.

You do the ceremony suggested, maybe tweak it a little and you do it when the full moon comes around, or the new moon. Or the sabbat. 

But you are alone and it can be very isolating and it can be very hard to find answers to simple questions such as "is this right?". The answer is usually, does it feel right? But I really do get the desire for a teacher. The main point for that is that when you go out and really start to meet other pagans and witches the book learning isn't seen as learning. 

Have you noticed that?

Sure, you know how to call a circle, you know about what altar tools are related to what elements. You have had success in making charms and other spells, but you did it all alone so the question remains. "is this right?" and unless you have training from an established coven your experience doesn't seem to count much.

Gosh that question haunts, "is this right?".

But the answer remains true.

Does it feel right?

If your spells are successful, if you feel connected to the goddess/god, if your studies are continuing and you are using what you learn.. What is the point of questioning yourself because it is working for you?

But the point remains, even for me, that at some point it would be nice to have some type of community grounded learning, and this can be hard to find. 

The common response to a request for a teacher has been, the teacher will come when you are ready. Who doesn't hate this comment? I know I do. I'm impatient. I want it now haha. But feeling sure about yourself doesn't just come from outside recognition, but from opening up that connection to the divine that is inside you and grounding yourself in what you know and what you have accomplished. 

As they say when writing a resume, you know more than you list. Recognize your accomplishments. 

Be Well!

Talia Ravenspath

Moon Days

Self Care..

I will not be making any posts until my moon days are over..

See you folks next week!

To Listen

This past Sunday, I noticed something about myself that I have been acknowledging more and more. My ability to listen. 

There was a time, not so long ago, when my ability to listen was hampered by trauma and neglect. It really could feel like someone was sounding like Charlie Brown's mother. Even today, I can be focused on my knitting, crocheting, or even a TV show and one of my children will stand in front of me asking me something and it takes a few tries to get my attention. 

This isn't intentional, and perhaps feeds into my ADHD tendencies, but when my attention is focused, it can be like a laser.

Sunday, during Lammas, I was lucky enough to meet a druid gentleman who had come to do a blessing during our community gathering. I had a few questions I wanted to ask him, but another of my community took over the conversation and instead of feeling excluded, as I might have in my 20's or even early 30's, I sat back and listened.

It's kind of an amazing thing, the ability to listen. 

It's more than just hearing what others are saying, it's seeing how they say it and how others around them react to what they are saying. Words can create energy in a space.

So can listening.

When I do tarot card readings, I don't just listen to recipients reactions or questions, I watch their energy and listen to the unheard, or the spiritual messages that come through me like lightning that I once did not take such heed of. 

This is listening. Creating a space of safety, a space of compassion. 

And I realized, as if it was a message from the goddess herself, that my gift was to create those spaces. By listening with compassion, I can change the way someone is speaking to be calmer because of my expression, the way I hold my body and how highly vibrating my energy is. I am accepting.

This does not mean that I do not get frustrated when I have something to say and do not want to interrupt others in order to say it. I can feel ignored and interrupted. But instead of looking at it negatively, I can take a step back and see it as an opportunity to listen. Truly listen.

To observe.

This provided the opportunity for me to see this kind druid's friend who had come with him, and the kindness in his face. To notice that another friend also wanted to speak but felt left out. No one was left out purposely, but I feel like I am learning how to be inclusive in conversations by honing my listening skills.

How well do you think you listen? Do you interrupt others? Do you read their energy? Do you read their body language?

May the goddess hold you
Deep in her arms
May she comfort you
When you feel alone
May she provide sustenance
When you feel hunger
May she speak
And you hear her.

So mote it be.

Blessed Be!
Talia Ravenspath

Depression and Energy

Happy Monday! (or not) ☺

What a doozy this weekend was for me, how was it for you? Celebrating Lammas/Lughnasadh on Sunday was heavenly, if hot (and we had a few bees attacking people, unfortunately). But it was so nice to be around people that are so positive, kind and open.

But what I wanted to talk about today, in particular, was the fact of depression. 

There are so many of us that carry it around and battle it. I know that I have since I was around 8 years old, and I pray that my daughters do not feel that depression at that age and wish they were dead. Horrible feelings. 

But as I've gotten older, I've come to realize a few things. 
1) We can survive almost anything.
2) We are stronger when we realize we can survive anything.
3) It is possible to not be ruled by depression.

I'm not saying it's easy, and it can take a LOT of work. But you can go from days when you can barely get out of bed and everything sets you off to either tears or anxiety laced anger (basis is often in depression though for me), to feeling that depression rising but realizing that your energy vibration is too high for it to overcome.

Let me tell you how that works.

First of all, gemstones are your friends. Charge them during the full moon, place the intention to either drain your depression away, or to raise your energy so that you can rise above it. Because depression is kind of like quicksand, this isn't about struggling with it or fighting it. It's about accepting it as part of who you are and the scars that we have on our souls from this life and past lives. It is about feeling compassion for yourself and learning ways to keep moving, even when you feel like your feet have turned to led. And sometimes it is letting yourself sleep for a day or two and taking that time to hug that echo of the person inside that is hurting and needs that love he/she didn't get. 

I know, it sounds like a lot, but it is doable. This is something you can work on with your therapist and, in particular, it is something you can work on your own day after day.

1) Mindfulness.
This is a great tool because it keeps you from dwelling. Have you ever heard the story about how we each have two wolves inside us, one is bad and the other is good. The one that is strongest is the one we feed. So if we focus on the bad thoughts and give energy to those bad ideas, we are feeding the bad wolf. If we focus on compassion and love for that wounded part of ourselves, we feed the good wolf and break the cycle of depressive thoughts. Mindfulness does this by helping you focus on one thing. 

Breath.

A footstep at a time.

Tapping.

Simple things to draw you into the present with kindness and compassion. Literally fueling a feeling of kindness and compassion while you do this.

2) Energy-work. 
This is another great tool that allows us to learn to manipulate the energy in our body. We can learn to do reiki self healing sessions and the positive regard we continue to have for ourselves is something that is nothing but good when it comes to depression. A simple way of doing a quick Reiki session is as follows:

Breathing slow and deep, make sure your feet are flat on the floor and your hands are on either knee/leg and relaxed. 

Starting from the top of your head, you are going to visualize (with the intent to heal yourself and be kind to yourself) a white light coming down and washing over the top of your head. Slowly it comes down, inch by inch. This is the light of the universe that is a healing light. It is simply going to go down each of your chakras and provide loving healing to wherever it needs to go. So keep visualizing this white light as it comes down over your third eye, between your eyes just above your eyebrows. Perhaps it turns purple when it reaches this point.

As it continues to go down, remember to be kind and love any emotions that come up. Don't worry about thoughts, just lovingly let them go, no matter how often they come up. 

The light will continue to come down over your face and down your throat where it may turn blue. Allow it to continue, loving yourself, hugging yourself as it goes over your heart chakra and turns green, than your solar plexus just above your navel it will turn yellow. Than orange below your naval and finally red at the base of your spine and lower. 

This is something you can do every day. You don't have to visualize these colors, and if you just feel connected to the light going down that is perfect as well. 

The training that you do with these two exercises can break the hold that depression has on you. Perhaps you will never be cured, I know that I am not, especially around my moon days. But you can learn to love yourself unconditionally, and when you do that you can learn to love others unconditionally as well.

You don't have to do them every day, I don't always manage too, though I do try. But just every other day can make such a big difference. 

You are not alone in your depression. 
May your brón (sadness) be lifted 
And your soul's energy be raised
For we are not meant to suffer
But to evolve and to love.

Blessed Be
So Mote It Be.

Be Well!
Talia Ravenspath

Merry Lughnasadh!

Blessed Lughnasadh to you! The harvest time has begun and what a harvest it will be. Lugh is the god of the harvest, but he holds a wonderful place in my heart as the god of crafts. And his consort Rosmerta, the goddess of healing and prosperity calls out to me. 

Do you hear her? Her voice echos with Lugh's in support of our endeavours and our ideas. No wonder I wanted to do more than make bread, but to make homemade butter as well!

Lugh calls to me constantly in my crafting, as I always have either a crochet hook or knitting needles in my hand. I am grateful to him for his continued patronage, and I acknowledge his prescence in my life over the past 25 years with gratefulness as the crafts have given me peace.

He has also inspired me of late to make necklaces with hagstones. Hagstones are amazing stones that naturally have a hole in them due to water flow/dripping. I also added dragons blood jasper, lapis lazuli and hematite. The hagstones were charged with full moon energy and the intent of healing and protection set the morning after.

I cannot stop wearing mine, seriously! I can feel the higher vibration in them!

Suggestions I have for this holiday? 

Craft something! 

Even if you are just drawing something (doodle), do it and enjoy it.

Write a bit of poetry! 

Bake some whole wheat bread, make some butter (let me know how yours comes out ☺).

Between now and the Fall Equinox is a good time to work on bringing in some plans and some feelers, let them come to fruition. All that hard work that you have been doing has completely paid off, it really has. But right now, the harvest also means hard work, and sweaty work with cursing and wiping sweat off your brow. 

To wrap up this post is my tarot reading for this holiday. My three card pull is about the three things I need to focus on.

The nine of Pentacles is about enjoying the harvest and the prosperity that I have earned. Spend it with family and really be present in the world so you can enjoy your family.

The four of Chalices is a card of waiting, perhaps the stability that I have been wanting to have is here but cannot come without help from another, either friends or family. I need to rely on someone from outside myself to help me keep my stability and to not turn my back on that person or people.

The Ace of Wands has to do with spiritual enlightenment and being at one with my intuition. This is something that is a strong part of my life now, I am not perfect, but I am better able to listen to my intuition and my spiritual life is finally at one with my inner life. There is a flourishing that is happening there, and I am grateful for it.

Enjoy this Sabbat and keep your chin up through this Mercury Retrograde. Remember that it is all about communication, so if you keep the lines of communication open, you will be fine.

Blessed Be!
Talia Ravenspath