February Pagan Circle - Page 2

[sweetsunshine85]

Thanks everyone for the hugs and understanding. I'm still pretty much in shock about my former bff. I also found out yesterday that my mom finally "broke the news" to my dad. Apparently he hasn't really had much reaction yet. My cousin said he seems in shock and worried if I am ok. Better than the furious response I received from my mom and (now ex) bff, and that I expected from him. We shall see what comes about. The rumors are spreading back home and I can see the time to become fully "out of the broom closet" is quickly coming. Right now I am trying to focus on tomorrow's ceremony. I need to prepare a little bundle of things from my past that I want to throw in the fire, symbolizing that I don't need to hold onto the pain they carry and I am letting them go. I haven't slept really for three days and have felt sick when I tried to eat, so I am hoping to eat and sleep well tonite. Fortunately this storm has given me tomorrow off from work. I also have Thursday off! Yay!

[UnschoolnMa]

Hugs for sure. I half expect many people not to "get it" but when it's a close friend of family member AND they sever ties, ughhh. How sad. Hang in there! To thine own self be true, and stuff like that.

[sweetsunshine85]

Thanks, mama!

[witchygrrl]

sweetsunshine, here's hoping that the ritual helps you find some clsure and peace, and readies you to move on!

I wish I understood why people have to freak out over something so personal as spiritual/religious beliefs. Many hugs to you.

[sweetsunshine85]

Thanks, witchy. I asked Margot Adler about it and she posted this quote.

I think you have to understand why people like your friend are saying what they are saying. It has nothing, nothing to do with you. Here is an amazing quote from Carpe Jugulum by Terry Prachett, and I think if you think that your friend and your mother and father have this flame that the Witch Granny Westherwax is talking about in this book, you will have some insight. In this passage, the witch is talking to a priest about God. What would it mean if you really believed your God was real:

“Now if I’d had seen him, really there, really alive it’d be in me like a fever. If I thought there was some god who really did care two hoots about people, who watched ‘em like a father and really cared for ‘em like a mother,…well, you wouldn’t catch me sayin’ things like ‘there are two sides to every question’ and ‘we must respect other people’s beliefs.’ You wouldn’t find me being gen’rally nice in the hope that it’d turn out al right in the end. Not if that flame was burning in me like an unforgivin’ sword. And I did say burnin’, Mr. Oats, ‘cos that’s what it’d be. You say that you people don’t burn folk and sacrifice people anymore, but that’s what true faith would mean, y’see. Sacrificin’ your own life, one day at a time, to the flame, declarin’ the truth of it, workin’ for it, breathin’ the soul of it. That’s religion. Anything else is just…is just bein’ nice. And a way of keepin’ in touch with the neighbors.”

[philomom]

Mmm, I have lamb for tonight and potatoes and some sweet little asparagus from the local co-op. Yay for Feb. !

Sorry for those you in stormy places. Here in Oregon it is sunny, windy and cold. Not our usual rainy and 50F .

[mamaofthree]

i think i might have to put a hold on imbolc. lol i have no energy for it. when we lived in tucson i would plant our tomatoes on the 2nd. maybe i will be able to get a few plants in the ground in the next week or so... or not. lol

dh picked up a vhs player at the goodwill today. watched our wedding video... goodnight we were so young! 20 years in just a couple of months. 

h

[bluets]

MO3: why not do your imbolc activities on the full moon instead?  that buys you almost 2 weeks of recovery and rest (and planning) time :)

sunshine: blessings to you for a fulfilling ritual!

i did a variation of an imbolc soup - no leeks so i used the last 1/2 onion in the house, some bok choy, meatballs, lamb broth (by accident and which i'm not enamored with), veggie broth, diced canned fire-roasted tomatoes.  i made a GF variation of Irish Soda Bread crossed with Kiva Rose's Golden Flax bread - flax meal and almond flour, a smudge of caraway seeds, a small handful of raisins, egg to bind it all together.  the soup was ... edible.  the bread was... missing something.

daycare/kindergarten is officially closed tomorrow.  so.... SNOW DAY!  again.  kindergarten teacher has promised homework.  yay!  we need something different to keep this very energetic kindergartener-clone trooper-lego builder boy busy, especially when it will be bone-chilling cold tomorrow too.

[DaughterOfKali]

School is closed for us today (thank goodness. Was NOT happy that they didn't close yesterday.)

My mother was supposed to move yesterday but driving was awful so we had to turn around and go back to my house.  She'll have to wait until Thursday or Friday.

Still waiting for ds's school to contact me with a new date for the Team Meeting. 

We are drowning in medical appointments.  Roo is going to miss a LOT of school this month due to his appointments (with these med appts, you get what you get... You can't tell them what works best for you.  It's 'take it or leave it.'

Welcome to all the new members on this thread!

Hugs to those who are going through a hard time or are sick/have sick kiddo's.

[Aeress]

Didn't get much by us, though the ice was bad. Hubby said the road seemed ok.

Sweetsunshine- thinking of you!

Happy Brigid's  Day!- We had cinnamon rolls- It seemed fitting. I am planning roast chicken for tonight. It wasn't what I had planned, but weather didn't allow me to get the ingredients I needed, so alas, roast chicken and veggies it is.

I was also planning to clean the hearth today, but hubby did that Sunday night. So, kind of "eh" for a ritual. Incense and a cleanse will have to do.

[Maiasaura]

Well, I'm not doing much in the way of food, because of the diet I'm on. I did have bok choy, though! Is that an Imbolc food? I had a bok choy and chicken soup for lunch, with garlic, Bragg's, and a tiny touch of cinnamon. And black pepper and a bit of hot sauce. Yum!

Tonight we're having fish. Oh well, it's white

M's starter died. He had to have his car towed and it's in the shop and he made a lot less this paycheck then even he normally does, which isn't much to start with. And he's missing work today because he would have had to walk in the ice and snow and yuck. And he owes rent. Gawd, I hope things pick up for him soon. He really deserves a raise. His brat of a spoon-fed boss drives around in a new truck and pays M a pittance. It's pathetic. He's glad to have a job at all, but he's always, always behind.

It's sunny and gorgeous out, here. I need to get my lazy arse outside and tie a cloutie on the willow tree, and maybe clean up the yard some. And I might make oatcakes. If ds doesn't end up liking them, I'm in trouble! LOL. I can always freeze them and have them...hmm, someday.

By 0.1 points, I have dropped from an "obese" BMI to just "overweight" Woohoo! And I lost 7.25 inches overall, in the last half month or so

Happy Imbolc, all!

[Valerie.Qc]

We have snow!  Noting to compare with some places south but we have snow!

I'm still dealing with pain... But it's a little better than it was so I'm crossing fingers for it to be over very soon!

[wombatclay]

So... every school was closed today, the public buildings were closed, even the University that NEVER closes had a two hour delay for classes... and we got less than two inches.  Granted, there IS some ice.  But not a lot.  Some sections of town did get an inch or inch and a half of ice/sleet so there certainly were some driving issues, but given that yesterday almost everything was open and the weather/road conditions were significantly worse?  I think today is mostly "once bitten", or even "locking the barn once the horses are out".

Seems to be my turn for this horrible virus of dooooOOOOOoooooommmmm.... spent much of the night in the bathroom, and I nearly cried when DH left for work today.  He gave me some great little "good for two hours of free time" cards for the holidays but honestly, what good are they if I can't turn them in when I need that free time?  I know I'm being whiny and silly, I KNOW he can't just drop everything at work to stay home (especially since he'll be taking time off on Fri to watch the kiddos while I'm in with the doctors, and he's been taking time off to get dd1 to the dentist and to watch the kiddos during my hospital visits), but still.  I'm refusing to be reasonable!  LOL

Also, I know it's heretical, but I really dislike cloth diapers.  OK, OK, it's not hate or anything, but right now I'd sell my soul for a box of sposies.  Or at least rent it out for a bit.  Every time ds has a poop dipe I have to fight hurling (I've lost twice today, ick) and his poo is never "ploppable" so even with one of those liners it goes EVERYWHERE.  And when we're using cloth my one-two loads of laundry a day becomes two-three... and while that doesn't sound like a big difference, it really is.  And, well, I don't like the faint smell of cloth... I know it's just preggo nose but I can smell instantly when ds goes if he is in cloth (but not in sposies) so I end up changing him every 1-2 hours in cloth while I can go 2 or even 3 hours in sposies.  I'm not going to toss our cloth or anything, but I guess I just need to vent.  Every time I have a break from cloth (like I did due to the thrush adventure) it's just so hard to give up the sposises.... they're super trim, don't smell, don't create more work for me, ds doesn't leak or gets rashes, they're just so dang easy.  Horrible for the environment and our budget though.  I just need to make that a mantra I guess.  I should probably go dig out some of the old Mothering magazine articles on the benefits of cloth and try to get myself jazzed up!

Imbolc- we ended up having fried rice with egg/veggies, sesame chicken (tofu for dd2), and ice cream.  Not exactly traditional but not bad.  We made gods' eyes and burned a candle next to our bowl of crocus blossoms.  Honestly, I've never been able to muster much Imbolc excitement.  I think I'm a bit burned out from the winter solstice activities and frozen by the ongoing winter weather. 

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by wombatclay Imbolc- we ended up having fried rice with egg/veggies, sesame chicken (tofu for dd2), and ice cream.  Not exactly traditional but not bad.  We made gods' eyes and burned a candle next to our bowl of crocus blossoms.  Honestly, I've never been able to muster much Imbolc excitement.  I think I'm a bit burned out from the winter solstice activities and frozen by the ongoing winter weather. 

Aww, Clay, go ahead and whine; you deserve it. AND I say go on Freecycle and ask for 'sposies. Heck, we all need a break sometimes. And you (collective you) do what you can, when you can, how you can. I compost and I used cloth dipes most of the time but I don't or can't always eat organic, and I do <gasp> shop at Walmart...everybody has their lines they draw in the sand.

Imbolc-- happy day! I often get burned out from ds's birthday (January 31) but today, ds is at school, I'm by myself, M is home from work, I can't really eat fun holiday foods-- I lit candles on my altar (I did manage to make one!), smudged, took out my brand-new sketching journal and pen (I haven't drawn in some 25 years) and did a drawing. Sent it to M (who loved it! ), made oat cakes (oooh, hard to resist), wrote wishes on 6 strips of paper and tied them to the willow tree outside, made an offering of oats, honey, and milk and left that at the foot of the tree. So yes, I've been trying to honor the day in my own small way. Saturday is the public ritual.

[UnschoolnMa]

Also, I know it's heretical, but I really dislike cloth diapers.  OK, OK, it's not hate or anything, but right now I'd sell my soul for a box of sposies.  Or at least rent it out for a bit.  Every time ds has a poop dipe I have to fight hurling (I've lost twice today, ick) and his poo is never "ploppable" so even with one of those liners it goes EVERYWHERE.

Ughhhh! I totally don't blame you for being tempted to do the toss away type for a bit. Nausea + liquid poop = bad mama day. Hang in there.

Honestly, I've never been able to muster much Imbolc excitement.  I think I'm a bit burned out from the winter solstice activities and frozen by the ongoing winter weather.

 Hard for me too. I am much more into Ostara. I do have to say that we've had really pretty (but COLD) days here for Imbolc which was nice. Did up a simple altar and carved some runes on avocado pits. And.... there are flowers poking through the frozen -ness that is my outdoors. She is alive in there.

[DaughterOfKali]

I didn't eat anything special for Imbolc but I did do something that I've been thinking about doing for awhile.  I became a Pampered Chef consultant again.  I lurve kitchen gadgets and baking/cooking supplies.  Anything that helps make my time in the kitchen more enjoyable is a good thing!  (I'm so not domestic.)

Even when I was a kid, I loved kitchen gadgets.  I told my grandma (when I was about 11 yrs old) that puttering around in the kitchen made me feel like a witch healer.  (It's so cool to hear stories like that from my mom.)

Clay- I'm so sorry you are sick!

Valerie- May you have a pain free week.

Aeress- Can I have a cinnamon roll?

[mamaofthree]

clay: one thing i am not missing about being pregnant is the darn pregnant nose! i would wander around the house sniffing out the weird smells that no one else could smell. 

tonite it is mac and cheese for us. lol

my baby is a week old today. :O shocking. dh is back to work tomorrow. waaaah. i will miss him so much.

h

[sweetsunshine85]

Tonite's ritual was amazing. Tonite I was initiated and dedicated to the goddess. I found my name and was blessed in a beautiful circle shoveled out in the snow, with a fire in the center. It was so magickal. Two dear friends and powerful priestesses were with me and they had the grids set up for each direction. We wore white and we wore the crowns of flowers which I made. It was so nerve wracking for me, waiting for the moment when my best friend would come and initiate me, blessing my body in the service of the goddess! But I made it through and it was meant to be. I hope that all of your Imbolc have been blessed and beautiful.

[DaughterOfKali]

Sweetsunshine- Congratulations!

Mamaof3- Happy 1 week! 

[LionessMom]

Originally Posted by sweetsunshine85 

Thanks, witchy. I asked Margot Adler about it and she posted this quote.

I think you have to understand why people like your friend are saying what they are saying. It has nothing, nothing to do with you. Here is an amazing quote from Carpe Jugulum by Terry Prachett, and I think if you think that your friend and your mother and father have this flame that the Witch Granny Westherwax is talking about in this book, you will have some insight. In this passage, the witch is talking to a priest about God. What would it mean if you really believed your God was real:

“Now if I’d had seen him, really there, really alive it’d be in me like a fever. If I thought there was some god who really did care two hoots about people, who watched ‘em like a father and really cared for ‘em like a mother,…well, you wouldn’t catch me sayin’ things like ‘there are two sides to every question’ and ‘we must respect other people’s beliefs.’ You wouldn’t find me being gen’rally nice in the hope that it’d turn out al right in the end. Not if that flame was burning in me like an unforgivin’ sword. And I did say burnin’, Mr. Oats, ‘cos that’s what it’d be. You say that you people don’t burn folk and sacrifice people anymore, but that’s what true faith would mean, y’see. Sacrificin’ your own life, one day at a time, to the flame, declarin’ the truth of it, workin’ for it, breathin’ the soul of it. That’s religion. Anything else is just…is just bein’ nice. And a way of keepin’ in touch with the neighbors.”

 i love granny weatherwax! you must read the books! it might sound silly but the biggest influence in my witchy career has been Granny Weatherwax. lol.