Pagan Thoughts

Past Life Mirror Visualization
In a darkened chamber, light a virgin white candle.
Place the candle so your reflection is illuminated in the magic mirror.
Gaze at the mirror as you say: "Mirror, mirror, who was I? Was I royalty, or a simple field hand? Was I an artist with easel and paint? Was I a farmer working the land? Mirror, mirror, black as coal, let me see the face I should know."
As you look into this magic glass, your own image will begin to form.
When you detect a mist or haze of any sort, keep your vigil.
Do not avert your gaze.
As the glass begins to clear, your face will appear.
Be calm, and push aside all feelings of dread.
You and your former self will now be eternally bound.
Gaze for no more than fifteen minutes initially, even if no visions appear.
To stop, simply look away and snuff out the candle.
Give thanks.
Keep a journal and record anything you may have seen.
Pay attention to your dreams as well.

Do a detox for the first 2 days

Food
Breakfast - ham and eggs (& a waffle?); begin making Sun Tea
Lunch - egg salad sammich & carrot soup
Dinner - Dandelion Salad & Sunkist Citrus Scampi

Meditation - Meditation and evaluation of the current events and attitudes in your life. Examine where you might be unbalanced and where you might need to let go of the past and prepare for a fertile future. Now turn some attention to family and friends. Prosperity/Abundance, growth, self improvement and improving communication; Create an effigy of the dark half of the year and imbue it with the things of winter you’d like to leave behind. You can then either burn it in a bonfire or drop it in the nearest watercourse.

Decorations - jelly beans

Spring Cleaning - open the windows!!!; thoroughly clean each room, top to bottom (including the walls); spiritually cleanse after completing each room, and again after the whole house is clean

Appreciate Spring - put up wind chimes / bird house and bath; spend an hour in a semi-public area, 30 min picking up garbage, 30 min collecting flowers & enjoying the surroundings, search for branches that could possibly be transformed into a besom, staff or bolline

Gardening - start seeds indoors, place them in a pot of soil and pat down the earth (element earth), Melt water from two ice cubes in your hands to water the seeds (represents the way winter melts into spring) (element water), breath on it (element air-remember, plants like carbon dioxide!) and then hold the pot over a candle (or up to the sun, if you are outside) (for fire)

Clothing - buy a new outfit!!

Crafts - make & empower a besom to cleanse the house with, dye eggs,
Paint - yin & yang; balance w/ male & female energies; flower blooming

Yoga felt extremely great, as I haven’t practiced in a few days. I kept getting a head rush in the inverted poses, however, so I avoided a couple of them.

Tonight’s meditation was interrupted for the majority of the time by Chloe, who I couldn’t throw out of the room because I actually enjoyed sitting there with her exploring my meditation spot. Regardless of distraction, I felt it was a positive experience for the both of us; for her because I usually just throw her off the ledge after the first sound of her bumping into my glass butterfly that Nick bought me for my birthday. So, it was very nice & interesting to watch her stick her head in & out of the fountain; and sniff at the candles only to realize that they’re hot, which would cause her to make a scolding face at it, lol. She sat on my altar for the majority of my meditation, and she was obiously less destructive than usual, lol. It kind of made me think she has the potential of being more of a familiar than a companion when she grows a little older, just because she seemed to enjoy being somewhat peaceful on top of my mditation spot.

I listened to "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by the Verve, and (accidentally) "You Were Meant For Me" by Jewel.

For some reason, at the beginning of my yoga session tonite, I started thinking about Cassie. How she’s definitely a hippie when it comes to the clothes she wears, the music she listens to, and the vices which she adores. However, she also has such a strong spiritual side, accompanied by a lot of knowledge about spirituality. I worry that her hippie lifestyle is overwhelming her spiritual side. I mean, she’s got the "death" tarot card tattooed on her back. Which, to me, kind of symbolizes that only is she badass enough to get a mural tattoo, but she’s also looking for drastic change in her life. Which can’t ever be a bad thing; especially now that she’s pregnant. Since she won’t be able to do any drugs, I hope this period in her life will help her begin to remember what an old soul she has; wise beyond her years. And I hope that she will influence her child the same way.

I hold a lot of admiration for her knowledge of things such as the Ouija board & the spirit realm, the Tarot, and various other things like her studies in paganism. And, of course, her empathy.

This guy promises to write some blogs about gardening

http://benathar.covenspace.com/ 

The word arcana is the plural of arcanum which means "profound secret."
The tarot cards are therefore a collection of the "secrets" that underlie and explain our universe.
There are 22/78 cards in the major arcana. Each of these cards symbolizes some universal aspect of human experience/human nature. Some cards are individuals who personify a particular approach to life, such as the Magician or the Hermit.
When a major arcana card appears, you know the issues at stake are not mundane or temporary.
Many interpreters view the major arcana as showing the different stages on an individual’s journey of inner growth - what some call the Fool’s Journey. In these systems, each card stands for some quality or experience that we must incorporate before we can realize our wholeness.
Markers on the path of inner development leading from earliest awareness (card 0) to integration and fulfillment (card 21).

I came across this drawing on a pagan site, and found it somewhat inspiring. It’s called the Tree of Life

The next Esbat is on March 3, and will also be a total lunar eclipse for about an hour.

*Haunting and enigmatic, the Winter Moons hold many secrets. It is the time of the Crone’s fullness. All life rests under the cool light of Winter Moons. Sharp and precise, the Winter Moon presides over the time of rest and replenishment. Since time began, the Crone has held the mystery of dormant seeds, waiting for the return of Spring Moons.

*Because this Moon waxes full when snow is still on the ground in many places, it holds the power of purity, innocence, and joy. It speaks to the child within us–a reminder of a time when life was simple, a time when a smile went a long way, and everything imaginable seemed possible. Because of this, the Chaste Moon makes us want to laugh, run and play, turn cartwheels, and have fun.
Beneath Her light, we find solutions to messy situations. Barriers flex and give way, and our personal goals are suddenly attainable. The Chaste Moon brings us the opportunity to toss out that which is old and useless. Her coming is the signal to turn a page in life’s book and start a new chapter.

Ideas
    * Wear white to honour innocence and joy.
    * Write down requests for inspiration, opportunity, and fresh perspective, then toss them into running water, saying something like:
      Take these, Water, as Your guests–
      These needs and wishes and requests–
      To the Cosmos on Your seas
      As I will, so mote it be
    * Take steps to simplify your life. If you’re a pack rat or have trouble letting go of useless possessions, for example, light a white candle in honour of the Chaste Moon. Then ask for Her help, saying something like:
      O Purest Moon of Wondrous Light
      Put what’s useless in my sight
      Help me clear it all away
      Simplify my life this day

*Celtic Tree-Ash; Moon of Waters; Celtic Tree Correspondances- prosperity, protection, healing

So, some things I plan on doing this day include: do some yoga first, then an open meditation, then draw/paint pic of the goddess, then do the oracle card reading (focused on prosperity), try to pick apart the reading, and meditate again on prosperity & the oracle reading. Perhaps I shall work on the next chapter in my UE story.

Update: Perhaps I should split it up between the 3 days?? Do the painting on the 2nd (post-midnite, so technically the 3rd), oracle cards on the 3rd, and write a poem on the 4th.

Other ideas: write a letter to the "Supreme Being", do an employment/prosperity "spell" (items: green candle, $, pay stub), make dream catcher

Another Update: Tonight (3/3 - just after midnite), I plan to do a painting and write a poem. Tomorrow night, I will hopefully be able to see (and catch a picture of) the Red Moon; do my oracle card reading, write a letter of intent on my current state of spiritual journey, make the dream catcher (if there’s time - if not, I’ll do it the following night), and do my employment/prosperity "spell" while meditating on both employment & confidence (items to collect: green candle, large pay stub, & 50$ bill).