Journaling

A while ago whilst looking through some boxes from the loft I found a diary I had when I was a teenager, it was a five year one and I had written in it pretty much every day for about two years – when I was 14/15.   It was funny to read back over how I felt, what trials and traumas I was going through with friends and boyfriends ;-)

It made me wonder why I don’t write one now.  So I am going to start journaling. 

My friend Sassy Sorceress advises writing two or three pages a day, first thing before you do anything else so that you can get all your worries and concerns, thoughts for the day out of your head and onto the paper.  I notice in Christopher Penczak's books that he advises doing the same thing.

I have an online journal that I have had for the past few years, but on looking back over it I realise how little about myself and my spiritual growth I have put in it.  Plenty of silly things and where I went and places I visited, but nothing from the heart.

I do have a journal for my OBOD work but on looking through that I realise that all my writing is  centered around the lessons.

I have a huge Book of Shadows that has changed and grown with me over the years.  Initially it contained all sorts of information, every bit of witchcraft text I could find, but in the last couple of years it has been revamped and now only contains information directly related to my path, my pantheons, rituals I have written or taken part in and meditations and spells I have written myself, it is now very personal to me but I have not shared any inner thoughts in it.

My spiritual journey is taking my in new directions and I want to keep a record of how I feel and what new inspirations, thoughts and ideas come to me.

So…I shall start a proper journal – a paper one, and we shall see where it leads me!

Tansy
x

Sassy Sorceress website
Christopher Penczak website

Red Riding Hood...

I love Roald Dahl's writing - his books and his poetry, but this one in particular is one of my favourites: 

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
By Roald Dahl

As soon as Wolf began to feel
That he would like a decent meal,
He went and knocked on Grandma's door.
When Grandma opened it, she saw
The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin,
And Wolfie said, 'May I come in?'
Poor Grandmamma was terrified,
'He's going to eat me up!' she cried.
And she was absolutely right.
He ate her up in one big bite
But Grandmamma was small and tough,
And Wolfie wailed, 'That's not enough!
I haven't yet begun to feel
That I have had a decent meal!'
He ran around the kitchen yelping,
'I've got to have a second helping!'


Then added with a frightful leer,
'I'm therefore going to wait right here
Till Little Miss Red Riding Hood
Comes home from walking in the wood.'


He quickly put on Grandma's clothes,
(Of course he hadn't eaten those).
He dressed himself in coat and hat.
He put on shoes, and after that,
He even brushed and curled his hair,
Then sat himself in Grandma's chair.


In came the little girl in red.
She stopped. She stared. And then she said,
'What great big ears you have, Grandma.'
'All the better to hear you with,'
the Wolf replied.
'What great big eyes you have, Grandma.'
said Little Red Riding Hood.
'All the better to see you with,'
the Wolf replied.
He sat there watching her and smiled.
He thought, I'm going to eat this child.
Compared with her old Grandmamma,
She's going to taste like caviar.


Then Little Red Riding Hood said, '
But Grandma, what a lovely great big
furry coat you have on.'


'That's wrong!' cried Wolf.
'Have you forgot
To tell me what BIG TEETH I've got?
Ah well, no matter what you say,
I'm going to eat you anyway.'


The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers.
She whips a pistol from her knickers.
She aims it at the creature's head,
And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead.


A few weeks later, in the wood,
I came across Miss Riding Hood.
But what a change! No cloak of red,
No silly hood upon her head.
She said, 'Hello, and do please note
My lovely furry wolfskin coat.'


If you haven't read any of his books - I highly recommend them (Charlie & the Chocolate factory was one of his!)

Tansy
x

Memories poem

I woke early this morning with a poem floating around in my head...



Memories:

In my head I dream away
Dreaming of another day
Another time, another place
Memories that dance and play

People, places, laughter, love
Many smiles and many faces
Those I have met, those I have known
Some still with me, some have flown

All of these events past
Life that passes by so fast
Gifts of life that make up me
Together they form my memories

Good times and few regrets
And still adding lots more yet!


Tansy
x

Nuada Airgetlam

Yesterday I pulled an oracle card from the wonderful Gods & Titans oracle deck (thanks Blaidd), this is who I got, and I like him very much...

Nuada Airgetlám

In Irish mythology, Nuada or Nuadu (later Nuadha), known by the epithet Airgetlám ("Silver Hand/Arm"), was the first king of the Tuatha De Danann. He is cognate with the Gaulish and British god Nodens.  His Welsh equivalent is Nudd or Lludd Law Eraint.

Nuada was king of the Tuatha Dé for seven years before they came to Ireland. They made contact with the Fir Bolg, the then-inhabitants of the island, and Nuada sought from them half of the island for the Tuatha Dé, which their king rejected. Both peoples made ready for war, and in an act of chivalry allowed their numbers and arms to be inspected by the opposing side to allow for a truly fair battle. During this first great battle at Mag Tuired, Nuada lost an arm in combat with the Fir Bolg champion Sreng. Nuada's ally, Aengaba of Norway, then fought Sreng, sustaining a mortal wound, while the Dagda protected Nuada. Fifty of the Dagda's soldiers carried Nuada from the field. The Tuatha Dé gained the upper hand in the battle, but Sreng later returned to challenge Nuada to single combat. Nuada accepted, on the condition that Sreng fought with one arm tied up. Sreng refused, but by this point the battle was won and the Fir Bolg all but vanquished. The Tuatha Dé then decided to offer Sreng one quarter of Ireland for his people instead of the one half offered before the battle, and he chose Connacht.

Dianchecht, the druid physician of the Tuatha De Danaan, prepared a bath of magical herbs with such curative properties that the wounded who were plunged into it were made whole. However, the bath could not cure the king. Having lost his arm, Nuada was no longer eligible for kingship due to the Tuatha Dé tradition that their king must be physically perfect, and he was replaced as king by Bres, a half- Fomorian prince renowned for his beauty and intellect. The Fomorians were mythological enemies of the people of Ireland, often equated with the mythological "opposing force" such as the Greek Titans to the  Olympians, and during Bres's reign they imposed great tribute on the Tuatha Dé, who became disgruntled with their new king's oppressive rule and lack of hospitality. By this time Nuada had his lost arm replaced by a working silver by Dianchech and the wright Creidhne (and later with a new arm of flesh and blood by Dian Cecht's son Miach). Bres was removed from the kingship, having ruled for seven years, and Nuada was restored. He ruled for twenty more years.

Bres, aided by the Fomorian Balor of the Evil Eye, attempted to retake the kingship by force, and war and continued oppression followed. When the youthful and vigorous  Lugh joined Nuada's court, the king realised the multi-talented youth could lead the Tuatha Dé against the Fomorians, and stood down in his favour. The second Battle of Mag Tuired followed. Nuada was killed and beheaded in battle by Balor, but Lugh avenged him by killing Balor and led the Tuatha Dé to victory.

Nuada's great sword was one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, brought from one of their four great cities.

Nuada may be the same figure as Elcmar, and possibly Nechtan. Other characters of the same name include the later High Kings Nuadu Finn Fail and Nuadu Necht, and Nuada, the maternal grandfather of Fionn mac Cumhaill. A rival to Conn of the Hundred Battles was Mug Nuadat ("Nuada's Slave"). The Delbhna,  a people of early Ireland, had a branch called the Delbhna Nuadat who lived in County Roscommon. The present day town of Maynooth in County Kildare is named after Nuada (its Irish name is Maigh Nuad, meaning the throne of Nuada).

Nuada is no doubt related to the Romano-British god Mars Nodens, and the Welsh figure Lludd Silver-Hand, also known as Nudd. He may also be related to the Irish figure Neit, who is also said to be a war god, and married to Nemhain. Nuada's wife is usually one of the three Machas.

 Tansy

x

 Sources:

Wikipedia/MaryJones.com

Gods & Titans Oracle Cards BlueAngel Publishing

Mystic Dreamers Tarot

I have amongst my ever growing set of tarot cards - The Mystic Dreamers Tarot.  The artwork of which is beautiful. (Note for my lovely hubby - no it's not new I had it for Yule LOL! ;-))

From Amazon:

The breathtaking artwork of this inspiring tarot will transport you to spiritual realms and dreamscapes where personal introspection can flourish. Built upon Rider-Waite architecture, this deck is ideal for traditional, as well as intuitive readings.

An ever-present Moon shines down on the Fool, the Devil, the Priestess, and other familiar faces. Ancient esoteric symbols have been updated with imagery that speaks to the modern reader.

This beautiful and unique tarot captures the emotional significance of every card and offers an ideal gateway to personal exploration. Also included is a 240 page companion guide that introduces myriad ways to use this unique deck and features over two dozen spreads. Heidi Darras is a self-taught digital artist from Belgium who is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in art. She has studied tarot for over a decade. Barbara Moore has studied and practised tarot for over a decade. She is a Certified Tarot Reader through the American Tarot Association and has spoken at tarot conferences around the country.

The book that accompanies the cards gives detailed descriptions and meanings, along with various suggested spreads.  For each card it also gives you suggestions for using your intuition which are quite interesting to do.  There is also space in the book for your own notes.


Tansy
x

What is magick?

Having spent a wonderful day on Sunday at a druid ritual to celebrate Beltane, we were drawn into talking about the subject - what is magick to you?

I have been asked this question before and I wonder how many people would say "oh it's doing spells"?  And to a certain extent I guess it is, that is part of what a witch does.

However, to quote one of my favourite phrases "magick is where you find it".

Magick to me is all around us, magick is in nature:

• it is the flowers blooming
• the plants growing
• the sun shining
• the smell of the fresh air first thing on a spring morning
• standing in the rain marvelling at every single drop of water
• on the seashore listening and watching the ocean
• feeling the breeze in your hair
• waking up to the sound of birdsong
• feeling the warmth sun on your skin
• the feel of soft warm earth between your toes

All of these things and more are to me - magick - Mother Nature herself is real magick.

What does magick mean to you?

Tansy
x