Spring Cleaning Your Home

There's something so wonderful about Spring - the promise of renewal, growth, and just a freshness in the air. Everywhere people come out of their long winter slumber and start to live again. New projects are started and the smell of fresh-cut lawns permeates.

Spring also means Spring Cleaning. For many people this is a once-a-year "deep cleanse" on their home. It is also a great time to do saging smudges or renewal spells on your home and property. Many people call these "protection spells," but I tend to refrain from wording that would encourage any bad energies to notice me. The more people talk about "protecting" and shielding themselves and their homes, the more they tend to attract bad things that they need to protect themselves from. Putting out positive focus and positive energy tends to negate this problem in general. (Though that's not always the case, but it's too complicated to get into the ins and outs of that particular subject here.)

Unfortunately, I tend to ignore my housework. I have had some mental block about cleaning for as long as I can remember. Part of the reason is that I am still bitter from when I was growing up and my mother made me clean all Saturday morning when I should have been watching cartoons. I rarely saw her do much of anything to clean around the house and felt more like a slave than her kid. So for many years, picking up so much as a dust cloth brought back these feelings, and I have rebelled against it repeatedly. Now that I have my own home it's time to put these issues aside. We can't carry around baggage from our past and be prepared to be successful at the same time. And what better time to clean than Spring?

There are many spells that can be used when cleaning the home. Some people use incense and walk around the home blessing each room. Some consecrate their tools such as their besom (broom) and use it to sweep away not only dirt but negative energy as well. Others prepare their own "magickal" cleaning solutions. Some of us ground and center before we clean, bless our cleaners, and pray as we clean. There are any number of ways to bring magick into your cleaning froutine. I'm still working on mine.

A friend of mine just sent me a link to Tess Whitehurst's site. She wrote a book called Magical Housekeeping. You can check out her blog at http://enchantingtheday.blogspot.com/

Rest Day

I became ill yesterday, most likely from something I ate. So I am taking a rest day. I tend to take a lot of showers and baths when I don't feel well. Something about the water (and the heat) is very comforting to me. I especially like being in the shower because I can envision white or gold light surrounding me, washing the dark illness away and down the drain. The next time you aren't feeling up to par, try it. You may find yourself feeling better sooner.

Magickal Gardening

I finally got around to planting some vegetables the other day. I love being able to grow my own food, and it's very practical as well. For example, red peppers are $2.49 each at the grocery store right now (and most of the year). I bought a red pepper plant for $1.99, and I will get at least 10-15 red peppers out of it before the end of the season.

When I am working in the dirt I feel very close to the earth, like this is something we are all meant to do. Here in Oregon, we have to use raised beds and containers for our gardens because our soil is so full of clay. As long as I am outside working in it, though, I feel a great connection to everything around me.

As I have previously stated, I feel magick is energy that is available and around us all the time. For that reason, when planning and planting my garden I don't always follow the magickal "rules" such as planting during the Full Moon. For many people, these types of rituals greatly enhance their experiences when gardening, and it is well worth looking into. Sites such as The Witch's Garden http://www.earthwitchery.com/witches-garden.html will give you numerous ideas on how to better incorporate ritual and enhance your spirituality through gardening.

As for me, I am satisfied with how I currently garden. I always thank the land as well as our food. I let the plants know when I am going to trim them or pick the vegetables. And I visit and talk to them every day while I am weeding and watering them. These are the things that keep my garden magickal.

There's No Such Thing as Fluffy Bunnies

The term “Fluffy Bunnies” has been thrown around in Pagan circles, and especially in Wiccan covens, far too often in the past few years. In general it is a derogatory term used to describe a practitioner who is often young, inexperienced, and doing things “wrong.”

I’m not exactly sure where this elitest attitude came from, and I certainly don’t understand it. There is no such thing as a Fluffy Bunny - there are only new practitioners and practitioners who do things a different way than you or I do. (In many cases, you and I also probably do things a lot differently as well.)

Many people turn to Pagan practices as a result of leaving behind rigid and fundamentalist religions which were forced upon them at a young age. Unfortunately, I have encountered many Pagans who have become fundamentalists in their own belief systems. Whether they are vehemently quoting the “right” way to do things or spouting out a long line of coven lineage, these people have become more focused on doing things by the book – their book – than on exploration and personal growth. I find that not only sad, but detrimental to the Pagan community as a whole.

 The next time someone talks about the way they practice or – gasp! – reading something by Silver Ravenwolf, let’s give them a chance to explain their views and explore their ideas. Instead of labeling them as a fluffy bunny, maybe it is time to listen to their point of view and have an honest exchange of our ideas. Not only with this help us think about our own beliefs, but it may help us solidify our practices and determine WHY we do things a certain way on our own paths. You never know – we just might learn something, too.

For more information on Fluffy Bunnies, see these Witchvox articles:

The Term Fluffy Bunny Must Go by Praxiteles

 http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usny&c=words&id=12128
On Fluffy Bunnies by Sarenth

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usmi&c=words&id=12545

It's a Magickal Life

It really is, and I've created this blog to remind myself of that. The past couple of years I have not taken the time to really enjoy my life. With the days flying by, it's time to slow down and smell the rosemary.

I started spontaneously doing magick when I was very young (about 3-4 years old). Unfortunately, as I got older I was told that some of the things I was doing were "of the Devil." I prayed and prayed for the Evil to be taken away from me. Eventually I realized it was not I who was the problem - it was my fundamentalist upbringing and the close-mindedness that comes along with it. I was finally able to free myself from those shackles, moved over 2,500 miles away, and found more like-minded people.

I consider myself Pagan, but I am not Wiccan nor do I worship any particular pantheon. I do not cast circles and I do not use tools such as athames. I don't begrude anyone who casts circles or uses tools, I just find these things unneccessary. I am very happy about the recent surge in Wicca and Pagan religions in general - the Earth could use some good stewards.

I believe that whatever is out there is more ethereal, not embodied in any particular diety or being (however symbolic). This energy is around us all the time, like television or radio waves. We need only tune into what I like to call "Radio Universe" to understand how things truly are. I could probably be described as a pantheist, or maybe even a panantheist, but for now just call me Ame (short for Amethyst).

I am keeping this blog to keep myself more accountable and to focus more on my own spiritual journey. My journey is always changing. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Due to some technical issues at Google, my blog was completely deleted and my other blog was rolled back and lost a post. Bear with me while I start over. :)

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!