Showing posts with label circle. Show all posts

Witchy Wednesday - Owning Your Energy

So many times we walk around in this world allowing our energy to run a muck.



We forget that when we send out certain types of energy we attract certain types back to us.  You've heard the old saying misery loves company? Well if you walk around the world miserable eventually you'll find someone to join in your misery and soon all that you'll have around you is negativity.

Ever had a day (week, month or year) that just seemed to be filled with issue after issue? One "bad" thing after another happening to you?  Check your energy. What are you putting out there?  Are you a gloomy Gus?  Are you a negative Nancy?  Yeah I said that.



The great thing at this point is that you see that pattern. You can recognize that you need to take control of the space you're in and the energy you bring into that space. Learning some simple techniques you'll be able to remove that negativity and bring back some prosperity into your world.

Here is a really good info video on Smudging.





If you really want to get an in-depth course. Head over to Tree of Life Apothecary's Etsy shop and pick up Sage Advice.  I highly recommend it.


The main way to get yourself together and JUST DO IT.


All joking aside, I see so many magical people sitting back and letting the world happen to them. You have to take control of the situation and take steps to improve or direct your energy to the correct avenue.  If you want to learn a new spell, pick up a book and dedicate some time to learning it. If you want to stop those nasty little accidents from occurring around your house, take a few minutes and cleanse your space.  You control this space.  You can "allow" it to continue to ruled by negativity or you can "allow" positive, prosperous and happy energy to live there.   It is all up to you.



Sing and dance with me ya'll.



Posted by at No comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Facing My Mortality & Drawing Down the Moon

Recently, I commented on a profile picture of some other well known Pagans in a discussion with a friend saying, I'm not sure why people feel they need to look a certain way. Why use a picture of yourself from a long time ago?  Are we that vain?

I then saw a share by the Militant Baker.  I love her.  She's amazing.  She talks about Body Love Project and how we need to relearn that our bodies are not our enemy.  I really enjoy her posts.  This isn't so much fat acceptance that everyone yells about, but more self acceptance.



Today, at work I was updating my profile and noticed that I hadn't changed my picture in a while.  A long while.  Almost 9 years as a matter of fact.I did a quick Snagit of my old work photo and my most recent photo and was really surprised at how much I've changed over the last nine years.  I remember then, I felt the same way I do today.


2014                                                 2005
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

I then went to my "Me" album on Facebook.  There are pictures of me with assorted hair colors and styles. Most are pictures that I remember being unhappy with who I was.  The ones that I am happy, I'm not thin.  I used to have a lot of problems with this.  I fell for the line that you have to be thin to be healthy.  Today I have no meds, no doctors, and I'm probably over 200 lbs again.  I say again because I've been up and down so many times I can't count.  I had my DNA tested earlier this year and when I saw the results I was rather surprised.  I had heard that some people are fat and its in their genes.  I laughed it off but there it was in black and white.  I have the DNA type that means I have to work our harder, do more intense exercises in order to keep weight off.

I've worked out so much that I was able to fit into a size 8 pair of pants and I was miserable.  Yesterday one of the most influential people in my life passed away.  Margot Adler, author and correspondent for NPR passed through the veil.  Margot's book, Drawing Down the Moon was my introduction into Paganism. It has actually been more painful for me that I had thought it would be.  It has made me realize, life is too short to be unhappy.
Life is too short to be worried about a number on a scale.  Be happy, be yourself and love yourself.  There are enough people on this planet who will put you down for being something.  People will hate you for being Christian, Atheist or Pagan.  People will say you're too fat, too short, too skinny or too ugly.  There is no reason one of those people talking down to you should be yourself.

Love yourself.  No matter how old.  No matter what size.  Just love yourself.

Tonight at 8:00 pm CDT Circle Sanctuary is remembering Margot Adler.  Take a moment to head over there and check out the broadcast.

Photo Credit - Circle Sanctuary Facebook


I appreciate the doors she opened for me.  Had it not been for her book, I'm not sure that I would have been the person I am today.

Blessings
Sosanna
)O(
Posted by at No comments
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Pagan Blog Project 2012 - U is for Unity


U is for Unity:  u·ni·ty/ˈyo͞onÉ™tÄ“/ 

Noun:   The state of being united or joined as a whole, esp. in a political context. Harmony or agreement between people or groups.

Unity.  As defined, unity is a harmonious agreement between people or groups.  Some may think of a circle as “unity”.  I would agree.  When we look around our community, be it a community of witches or a group of voters one thing that is lacking in my opinion is unity. 


Now you may ask the following question, “Sosanna, how can two completely different groups unify?”  
For this I have an answer.  We are not two completely different groups.  We may indeed have differences.  Much like a litter of kittens for example.  There may be white ones and black one, maybe even a calico one.   But, they are all kittens.  We can compare this to other things, like plants or trees.  There are all types of trees, but alas they are still unified in one thing.  They are still trees.

Looking around my different circles today I can see where the unity has become separated.  Meaning that in my personal life, my work life and my witch life, things are broken.  I am usually a pretty upbeat positive person, which people like to be around.  Over the course of this last year I've been blocked on Face Book by 5 people, two of which I’m related to.  Now at some point you have to say, well it is what it is and move on, however I believe that this is evidence that we as a group; we as humans have an inability to coexist.  I’m not saying you need to be friends with everyone on Facebook, but I am saying is that are we so sensitive that we cannot simply exist in our worlds, unified that we are indeed all human beings that should care for the general welfare of our own species and put the need to be right on the back burner?

Perhaps this is enlightenment.  Maybe this is the point that you get to when you can look at another and know that they completely and totally disagree with you and in fact have specifically said things against you, and you can say, I honor that light in you which is also in me. 

Unity.

When a group has unity, their force is greater than that of one standing alone.  We together to join a fight, a cause or battle and reach a goal much quicker than one person fighting that battle alone.

So for this week’s Pagan Blog Project and my NaBloWriMo entry, I’m asking all of my readers to take up the fight and let’s take a stand to assist one team in Maryland reach their goal in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.   This team is at 50% of their goal and has only until Sunday to complete their pledge. 

I know it’s a tough time right now, financially so what I’ve decided to do is on top of promoting this great cause and this team I’m also going to do something for those donating.  ANYONE sending a donation in via this site before Sunday will receive a coupon code for Sosanna's Closet for 20% off their purchase.  Now your donation must be made by Sunday, but your coupon code will not expire until February.  So make your donation, $5, $10 any amount will help this great event.

Let’s unify for this fight.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(



Posted by at No comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Q is for Quarters


Q is for Quarters

In some traditions, spell casting is commonplace.  For these casters one typical way to get the magic rolling so to speak is to “Call the Quarters”.  Calling the quarters can be done in several different ways.
When I’m casting my circle I start by lighting some sage and cleansing the area.   I get in calm state and do the following:

Light the candle facing east and say the following:
Hail Guardians of the Watchtower of the East – Powers of Air and Wind
I welcome thee.
I then turn and light each candle in its direction and repeat as follows:
Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South – Powers of Fire
I welcome thee
Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West – Powers of Water
I welcome thee
 Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North – Powers of Earth
I welcome thee
Welcome Watchtowers, watch over and bless my circle

That’s it…  Calling the Quarters is just that simple.  There are many other ways to do this. You can list other correspondences such as more elements or include animals as well.  For example dolphins may be related water and would be added to the line for the West. 
I found a nice video on youtube that gives a great explanation - 



Begin simply and work with the energy from the directions. 

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(


Posted by at 1 comment
Labels: , , , , , , ,

P is for Patience


pa·tience   [pey-shuhns]
noun
1.
the quality of being patient,  as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.


To me one of the hardest things to learn is patience.  At first the word may not appear to be something that would be appropriate for a  pagan inspired blog project.  However I beg to differ.  There are so many things that pagans do that really call for patience.

Let's take spell casting for example.  Now, first I'm generalizing, not every pagan casts spells.  But those that do know that there are a lot of steps within and it does take a bit to work the spells.  First steps may be to collect the components for the spell.  Some components need to be cleansed/blessed by being bathed in the light of a full moon.  That step alone can add a weeks to the spell.  Then we look at moon cycles to be sure we're looking for the right phase to cast a particular spell in.  Some require a waxing moon, some a dark.  Again, weeks could be added to the casting process.



After we have the moon right and the components right we then can preform our ritual.  Many start a circle by calling the quarters or calling the guardians of the watchtowers.



Just as the spell and the components this is very specific to the caster.  In this particular video the person calling the quarters using the words "I summon".  I always ask... I feel the "summoning" someone is pulling them somewhere that they may not want to be.  I'd like them to come because they want to.  But that's just me.  Next comes the actual spell part.  This is where we take those components and working with them.

There are different ways to cast a spell.  There are very formal rituals which include using their magical instruments to call the energy into the spell.  A spell is really quite like a prayer.  This video shows every different types of spell casting.



After you've completed the spell, then you go through the process of closing the circle.  The entire process can take hours.  For someone like me, a seasoned witch with BiPolar and budding ADHD, it can be trying.  Books on my shelf include Wheel of Life, The Druidy Handbook and assorted others recommend by friends to calm my mind and bring me into the now.



I have tapes of guided meditation and ways to become centered and still I can't walk through a store and hold a conversation with my hubby with out drifting off in the middle of a sentence when I see something sparkly.  Just as I can't stay on topic for this posting, I'd like to put out here that if there are others with problems concentrating, focusing or relaxing one of the best things I've found is an album called Canyon Storm.  The melodies are amazing and it really brings me to a calm state.

Now back to the word of the week, patience.  Working with the ritual of casting a circle, I've actually seen a growth in the amount of time I can spend doing a particular activity.  So using magic or the process of magic has shown me that I can focus on a particular thing for a little while.  I'm no where near where I'd like to be on this.  And even though I'm trying to get to a point where patience is something that is a virtue to me.  I still can't help but completely relate to this MEM I saw recently.



Just a quick note, I'm working with a group on a wonderful project coming in October.  Keep a look out for some great things come for Samhain.

Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(







Posted by at No comments
Labels: , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)