ThoughtsofBeltane

Feeling compelled to write a bit about Beltane today. Beltane is my favorite of the sabbats to celebrate. But because of work I will not be at home to celebrate. Not too happy about that. I read somewhere online that Beltane actually runs from May 1-5th. I hope so. I hope by celebrating on a day other than the 1st will still be ok. I have the feeling it won't be the same though as celebrating on May 1st - May Day... Maybe I can hold ritual at midnight on the night before. ??

Beltane is very special to me. I've been on my pagan path for 2 years now. And Beltane pretty much marks that spot, as Beltane was the very 1st sabbat I celebrated. My awakening to who I truly am occurred on April 27th 2011. I immediately started searching for what the holidays are & how they are celebrated. So I scurried to put together a Beltane celebrating. *giggles* Very very memorable day. Spring & Autumn are my favorite seasons. Always have been. I remember celebrating May Day as a child. And my maternal grandma passed away on May Day. I was extremely close to her. So perhaps I feel like I'm also celebrating our love on that day. Wow, barely got through that sentence w/out a tear! After 12 years, still so heart breaking...

I include my family with celebrating the sabbats. And I just hate it that I'm working that night. Which also takes away any celebrations I would have done that day as well.

I want to go to Red Gulch dinasour digs outside of Greybull. I love taking the kids there. I have a geocache hidden there also. So I enjoy checking on that too. It's so peaceful out there! And when we are leaving at sunset. O.M.G. Gorgeous!! I was thinking of making some soft mead again too. And trying to track down a recipe alternate for bread. As I can not have any of the traditional pagan cakes, breads, etc.. because of my glute-free diet needs.



I always enjoy lighting my beltane candles in ritual, with its pretty maypole ribbons! And using my faerie incense.

It's no wonder I luv Beltane so much. I'm all about the faeries. And Beltane is one perfect time to commune with the faeries. Spring & faeries just go together ;)

Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA | MNN - Mother Nature Network

Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA | MNN - Mother Nature Network

I would love to have my home filled with various plants! A plan of action for the spring ;)

G is for Gratitude

Pagan Blog Project Letter G Prompt

 Gratitude! Be grateful for what we have, where we are in this moment. If you do not have gratitude, we will loose what we do have. Because we did not appreciate it.

Be grateful for everything. Be grateful for the dirty dishes. Because not everyone has food to put onto their plates. Be grateful for those arguments with our children. Because one day they will have knowledge to pass on and your arguments were not wasted after all. Because they DID hear your words. They were just too young to appreciate your wisdom.

Be grateful for the grass we have to mow this summer. Because some people have only dirt!

Having gratitude is to appreciate every simple thing in this life and to acknowledge it for all of its beauty. Whether we understand it or not is not for us to say. To not appreciate it is to throw away the gift.

Gratitude is a part of the Law of Attraction. If we express gratitude for the little things in our lives, larger things are to follow! After all, we can't simply be thankful for only the huge gifts. We have to be able to appreciate the smaller ones first. Then the Universe will bring to us the larger gifts, the ones that we really really want. The law of attraction is 'like attracts like'.

When we are negative, sad, wishful for what we do not have. Then the universe brings more of the same. When we are positive, grateful, thankful, kind to others, the universe brings more of the same! It's not always an easy practice. But you know what they say.
Practice makes perfect...

'What you focus on is what you create'

TheSecret
The Magic Secret -  a little facebook group I created for those reading the books
& applying the practice to their lives...

WhereIsMyLife-a personal post

My life is not where I want it to be. I am not living a life I love, or even want. It's just so hard to correct it. It doesn't happen overnight, and I'm impatient. I'm a passion parties independent consultant. But thats my 2nd job. I want it to be my full time job, and leave nursing. I'm a CNA also. Thats the job that I pay my bills with. I'm not even happy with where I live anymore. No metaphysical shops of any kind to speak of. Not even in the big city. Billings, Montana is where everyone here in small town Wyoming goes to shop. And I couldn't find any there that were still open. I've been with Passion Parties a year. And not where I want to be in the company. I buy supplies for my business from craft stores for prizes and samples. It is so irritating to not be able to just go to a store locally - because one does not exist.

So now I can not get what I need magickly, or mundane. I love passion parties. I love everything about passion parties. I love my spirituality. Finding my spirituality, was finding my true path. My way in life. So why does it feel like I'm being denied both! Passion Parties & Paganism are so similar too! Both are all about positive energy, personal growth,

I live in a small town. I haven't really had a great response with passion parties where I live. They act like they don't have sex.  When I mention what I do, I get ' oh I don't need any help in that area"  - Small Town + Mormon religion= no sex? I don't believe it.  But if I move then I am looking at the same situation. No close circle of friends to support me.  If you don't have a circle of friends to support you in what you are compassionate about, you don't have a jumping board...

Keep wondering if I should move to a larger area though. Where communities are more open about sex. 

Perhaps with moving to the evening shift and getting off of night shift will help my passion parties business. I love helping people. And the parties are SO much fun. SO many laughs! I'm always on cloud 9 after a party. I don't know why everyone wouldnt want to do this for a living. We get to earn trips to exotic resorts, gifts from our corporate office. We get so much help and tips from seasoned consultants, our corporate team, tutorials, documents... I just went to annual convention in Las Vegas and O! M! G!!! SO exciting. We won HUGE prizes, got the scoop on new products, got to see the new catalogs FIRST, we got to learn more about how to enhance our business's.  And first timers get to go to special learning pods to learn how to break through our mental barriers we might have. I am a team leader. Next year hope to be executive director!!! Its a very long jump. But I want it very much.

PaganBlogProject-E

Pagan Blog Project: Prompt Week 10 – E

Egyptian Goddess Isis

Isis is known as an all goddess. Goddess of rebirth. She is the first daughter of God Geb and Goddess Nut. Geb God of the Earth. Nut  Goddess to the overarching sky. Isis was born between the first days of creation and was revered by her human followers from the beginning.  In ancient times she was known to listen to the prayers of all peoples. No matter their status. She spent much time among her people, unlike the other Egyptian deities. She taught women to weave baskets & cloth, make bread, grind corn. Isis taught her people skills of reading, agriculture, and was worshipped as the goddess of medicine and wisdom.

  Isis is always pictured carrying an ankh. This is how we can identify Isis from other Egyptian imagery. She is often pictured with a throne on her head as well.

Isis became known as the complete female. Goddess of all. With all of the great power that Isis possess it is no wonder that she is the one who stood out strong to me when I was lost.

I believe that Isis came to me. I did not seek her out. I was at a low time in my life, and new to the craft. I was searching for a ritual to help me decide whether to leave my husband or to stay, or what to do. I began searching the Internet. EVERYTHING came up Isis. Isis candles, prayers to Isis, Isis cleansing bath ritual, Isis... Isis... Isis... It was very overwhelming and obvious. I chose a simple bath ritual. I had all the supplies I needed (being new to the craft I didn't have many tools, herbs..)

I used a purple chime candle. The way this candle melted and formed is still very powerful. It looks like an overflowing vessel, with liquid dripping down and flowing over the top of it.
Now came the interpretation. Was Isis telling me I have had my fill. I have endured long enough, taken enough crap. That my vessel is full. That I am overflowing with sadness and despair.

For me spiritually, personally Isis is always there for me. When I do my daily devotions with Isis I feel so much energy, so revitalized afterwards. Like the whole sun is shining inside of me. I turn to her in healing, when I am under the weather. She is always there to lift me up and listen to my problems. And I am here to honor her and make her proud to be my mother, goddess of all.
 

DeflectingNegativity

Ya know I really wonder why it is that my husband can not ever be happy for me. He told me to go spend 200.00 yesterday to get some more things for convention that I need. Well I didn't stay w/in that limitation. I got what I needed though. The money was in my account. There is enough for bills. I don't ever pamper myself. So what is so terrible! Ok, I get it that $400.00 in clothes, undergarments, make up... is  A LOT. But, I don't go around doing this all the time. It's a very special occasion. Then he will probably totally flip out when he gets up today and finds out I'm not finished. I have a nail appointment today, and hair on Monday...

Is feeling pretty and good about myself a bad thing? Is spoiling myself once in a blue moon uncalled for?

wow...

My nails I got done locally at Shear Design! wooohoo!!

MyGlutenMisery

How many times do I have to keep repeating my mistakes? Apparently as long as it takes to not keep repeating them! *lol* I have been doing really well with being gluten free. I have been feeling a bit better too. No vomiting, a lot less nausea. Increased energy. My mood has been better. Okay, sometimes. *lol* My mood has kinda been back and forth. I quit taking my anti-depressant (25 mg Zoloft 1 x a day). Anyway, I only ate 3 little hot wings for supper yesterday. Woke up all hungry a couple hours later. And while my diet has been drastically altered my husband still gets to eat and drink whatever he wants! So I took a chance on eating a piece of his pizza, just one piece for crying out loud. O M G I was sooo sick immediately after eating it! Horrible nausea, weakness, like my body just had all the life energy sucked right out of it! And was too sick to work today.

So, I had to call all my clients & tell them I can't come clean their homes/give them baths. I felt irresponsible, and stupid. Like duh! I obviously can not eat certain things anymore. Why am I so damn stubborn! I am feeling better because of how I have changed my diet. That does not mean that I can go back to my old eating habits.

Just like when someone is depressed and feels better. Or takes an antibiotic. You can't just stop taking your medicine because you feel better. You feel better BECAUSE the medicine is working!!

I do not have celiac disease. Which is very good. But for some reason, halfway through my life. (I'm 46 years old) I can not have certain anythings anymore. I have an ulcer that doesn't feel too great. So I can not have lemonade, juices, most fruits or anything acidic. I can't even have apples. Which people don't really think of being acidic. But they make me nauseous too. And too much acid, or dairy aggravates my ulcer. Glutenous foods effect my stomach and my whole entire body. So my food choices have changed in a big big way. I do not eat bread, I do not eat anything like cake, brownies, cupcakes, pancakes, foods that are breaded or battered. Nothing with flour or whey. Such as buns, tortillas, no crackers, no chips (unless they are all natural blue corn), no saltines. No gravies, no pasta. And I quit drinking my 3 bottles of orange sunkist pop a day too :)

BUT I have lost 25 lbs woohoo!!! It's SO much fun buying new clothes, and fitting back into old ones that still look & feel like new! wooohoo!!!

                                                                                                                               

PaganBlogPrompts-JustOneBook

The prompt for this Thursday is what One book would I recommend to new comers, but since its so hard to choose we are invited to share three books we would recommend.
 The first book that I read was Scott Cunningham's - Wicca for the solitary practitioner. But probably my favorite and the one with the most information all contained in one book is Grimoire for the Green Witch by Ann Moura. My magickal book collections consist largely of Ann Moura, Scott Cunningham, Ellen Dugan and Silver Raven Wolf. I aim to purchase more from Ann Moura and Scott Cunningham & a Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan.

Grimoire for the Green Witch was a book that was highly suggest reading for me from a pagan forum on the Delphi.com network. I have not ever regretted it. It is a quite large book. I use it as a reference all the time. It has the sabbats, rituals, a witches daily dedication that I have memorized and say in the morning with the lighting of a specific candle color for how I am feeling. Usually yellow or orange to combat depression. I also recite it many times outloud throughout the day and silently in my head. Ann Moura has included moon phases, various charts for times of the day, week, to bring what change you desire. Gods, Goddesses, chants, songs, festivals, feasts. Color meanings, sigils, craft ideas, info on oils, trees. Herbal plant listings, moon gardening. There is a plethory of knowledge contained in her book. Like I mentioned earlier, I do use it as a reference book constantly. It is my most cherished book. If I had the time to think of 1 thing to grab out of my house in the case of my home being destroyed - besides toilet paper *giggles* I would be this book.

Grimoire for the Green Witch is not just a book with someone elses' words. This IS Ann Moura's Book of Shadows. Therefore it is far more interesting than reading words she has put to paper. It is an indescribable wealth of knowledge. I feel like I'm feeding from an actual magickal fountain of knowledge when I read an Ann Moura book.

She has included from the simple to the sublime. Beginning with her sharing with us her family practice and linage. I had been reading quite a few other wiccan books before I was turned to this one. This is a complete book no matter where you are in your practice, spirituality, knowledge level... There is rules of conduct for a witch, creed of the green witch, the sacred tradition of green witchcraft, the three styles of green witchcraft, grounding and centering, altar arrangements, basic circle casting and opening and closing. Some books will just tell you the basics on how to do something. But Ann goes another step and breaks it down and explains it in short, understandable steps. For example - a book may tell you to cast a circle in whatever way you like. Well that is not very helpful if you are just learning. You did not learn anything from that instruction now did you. Ann tells you the direction in which to move in casting your circle. Deosil. And then goes another step. - Because what if you are not accustom to the magickal lingo yet. To explain quickly what direction that is. (N-E-S-W) - North, East, South, West. A friend told me something to help me remember the directional elements when I first started - Never East Soggy Waffles. *lol* And you can think of widdershins as going backwards, undoing. Deosil is opening, inviting. But it was impressive to me that she mentioned the N.E.S.W. direction.

I purchase most of my books from Llewellyn Book Publishing in the beginning. I have since began purchasing from Amazon at a lesser price.

Even though Grimoire for the Green Witch is my favorite. I would still recommend Scott Cunningham's Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner. When I first started reading books by Scott Cunningham I was really impressed with how easy they are to understand. Nothing worse than being completely new to something, and then still being puzzled after you've read up on it. And his books feel like they were written today. But they were not. Scott Cunningham passed away March 27th 1995. I did not start on my path until March 27th 2011. I can not help but think that the likeness in the dates also connect me to him in a special way. Like he was leading me. I knew nothing at all about Wicca, Magick, or Paganism. But that is another subject, on another day.

Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner is a very easy to follow book also. I would recommend this for the beginner. He gives you all of the basics for starting to learn about your path & practice.   He went through and explained all the areas I was so curious about. My altar, my tools, tool consecration, spirituality, grounding and centering. All the basics are there for you. And that the only tool you really ever need is yourself! You don't have to have all of the other tools for an effective ritual. You don't even have to do rituals. (But I like to. They help me feel connected to nature and the universe, and give me such an uplifting high energy.) All of the other tools are for adding more power to your ritual or spell. If I am casting a spell to bring greater success in my home business. I could do this simply by visualization, speaking from my heart to the Lord and Lady, my patron God and Goddess, or Goddess or just my patron God, or the Universe, whatever higher power you refer to. But I enjoy using my props. A green candle as green is symbolic to the element of earth. Earth is what I call 'my birth element'. Green is symbolic to prosperity, good luck, money, abundance. I would also use stones on my altar that are going to draw on the same things. I would also use herbs that are going to increase the power of my spell. Such as rosemary for good luck and abundance...

My third recommendation for a beginner is going to be a bit different than what you may think. You can read books all day long on crafting candles, learning about crystals, stones, herbs, rituals, but if you do not have gratitude in your daily life. None of what you are trying to do is going to matter much. - In my opinion. Gratitude is the easiest way to bring about positive change in your own life.

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne is high on my list of suggestions. This book is about bringing positive change in your life through the power of positive thought. I have experienced it in my own life! It works. Just like our rituals work. Because of the Law of Attraction. Like attracts like. Have you ever felt like your having bad luck, and more and more and more. When unpleasant things happen to us. And we sit around complaining, and tell it to everyone we come across in our day, and we think and dwell on it. We are giving it power. LOTS of power. Negative energy brings about change just like positive energy does. Rhonda Byrne teaches you how you can change it though. I love her simple action steps. I repeat the 1st step. -- Each morning before you do anything else. Before you turn on the t.v. Before you get on your computer, phone, or any other device. Sit down in a quiet space and write out 10 things that you are grateful for. And the reason why you are grateful for each one. Do this for 28 days and you will notice a change in your circumstances. The more gratitude you have about something, the more power you give it.

I include things that have not yet happened, and then they DO happen!

I wrote for weeks about how thankful I am for people to place orders with me for my passion parties business. And when a friend booked a party with me last saturday, I received $721.00 in retail sales. Which for me as an independent consultant is a profit of over $300.00 for just 2 hours worth of fun, *cough-cough* oh I mean work. *giggles*

Thank you for reading my lil' article. I've enjoyed writing it very much. I love my books so dearly & enjoy talking about them. ~ Julie

Pagan Blog Project 2013-DragonsBlood

Pagan Blog Project 2013 - D is for Dragon's Blood

Dragon's Blood crushed with my mortar and pestle

Dragon's Blood has a nice slightly sweet n' spicy scent to it. I love working with dragons blood resin. It crushes pretty easily in my mortar & pestle. It looks like red rocks. 

Ground with a mortar & pestle mixed with a small amount of frankincense resin & you have a wonderful incense ready to burn on a charcoal disc. Adding a wonderful spicy sweet aroma to your ritual or home.

Adding dragons blood to any ritual or blend gives it extra power & potent.

Properties

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire
Magickal Uses: Banish negative energy, protection of any kind, good luck and healing

Deities: I'm sure there are a plethora of deities associated with dragon's blood. This could include any deity associated with love, fire, protection. The Morrighan comes to my mind first. 

Dragon's Blood is the ingredient in many sex & love spells. It may even be turned into ink to give your spells and rituals extra power when written in dragon's blood.

But where does Dragon's Blood actually come from. How did it get its name? It is not really the blood from dragons of course. It got its name in ancient times from the colors represented in these resin chunks. It derives from the  dracaena draco. Or Dragon Tree. Dragon Tree are found in Sumatra and the Canary Islands. Dragon's Blood resin was traditionally used in ancient times in religious & spiritual ceremonies in India, China, and Rome.

If you have animals or children in the home to not sprinkle anywhere it could be accidentally consumed. As it is toxic. It has been believed to thin the blood.

Reference

Herbal Medicinal uses:

The legends of Dragon's Blood is said to have been used to treat cuts, wounds, and burns. As well as an intoxicating drink.

I am not an herbalist though. Do not attempt to conjure any tincture for such ailments for yourself or anyone else without extensive knowledge and training. Consult a licensed herbalist for such things.

This article is comprised from my own thoughts, experiences, and articles I have read in books and online.

Sources
Eclectic Pagans and Witches - http://suite101.com/article/magickal-herbs--the-uses-of-dragons-blood-a291227

eHow - http://www.ehow.com/facts_5592408_dragon_s-blood-incense-used-for_.html

About.com / Paganism & Wicca - http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/othermagicspells/ss/What-Is-Dragons-Blood.htm

Join My Passion Parties Team - Enchanted Passion

There has never been a better time to join passion parties! Right now, for a limited time our corporate office is offering new and returning consultants a limited time spectacular offer. Just $99.00 to purchase your starter package. Which is $470.00 of products to get your business booming. You may upgrade your package for $300.00 without having to pay additional shipping if you like. This instantly elevates you to your 1st level in passion parties. Which is to become a qualified consultant.

Thinking about giving passion parties a try?
I am serious about building my team! Join my team - Enchanted Passion and lets grow our dreams together for a better tomorrow. Contact me for details to get you all set up and ready to go on February 16, 17, or 18th for this discounted offer to lead a happier, funner, fuller life! (307)-899-2946 My name is Julie. www.enchantedpassion.com http://facebook.com/passionpotion is my facebook business page. I post all kinds of updates, specials on there. So LIKE my page to stay informed ;) I would also like to invite you to friend me. I post a lot of passion parties business info on my profile also. http://facebook.com/JulieSJenks.

Let me just take a little bit of your time to tell you about Passion Parties. On YouTube  you can view corporate created videos that are for the public to view our products, promotions, holiday specials, convention videos...

I am always so impressed with how we are treated, how quickly our corporate office responds to help us, how the company as a whole uplifts our spirits. I earn awards, pins, special personalized holiday cards in the mail, I win gifts for participating in contests. I get to build up my self esteem. I can go all the way to the top of the ladder. Some companies do not want you to go farther and higher than your sponsor or manager. NOT with Passion Parties! Anyone on my team can achieve higher status than I am currently at, at any time.

There is tons of help in our back office with templates of documents to use for our business, all of the other consultants that have achieved high levels of success are there to help us. I get to go to training seminars to learn how to grow my business. Learn new techniques, learn ideas that other consultants share. There is such a huge feeling of pride and success and wanting to achieve in Passion Parties!

I get to make over $300.00 in profit in just 2 hours!! I get to be my own boss. Run MY business the way I want to run it. Offer specials and deals that I want to offer. I work the hours and days that I want to work. And its SO much fun enhancing other womens' lives & empowering them! But lets not leave out those men. There are male consultants too. I would love to add some men to my team! Although Passion Parties is female oriented. All about empowering, celebrating, and lifting up women. The men are not excluded.

Passion Parties fits me perfectly. I have even met a number of pagans! Passion Parties for me is freedom. Free to be who I am. Free to be myself. No one judging us because of tattoos, or body piercing, or spirituality, or religion, or lifestyle! Everyone is treated with love and respect! It's such a spectacular feeling. Why would you want to wait any longer to start living a life you love?

The parties are SO much fun!! So much freedom there too. Fifty Shades of Grey parties, bath and body parties, sex on the beach, the possiblities are endless You name the theme! You and your hostess become partners to give her the best party possible...

sigtag by me
created with graphics purchased at Vanilla Patch

Convention2013

countdown till i go to the 19th Annual Passion Parties Convention!!
for the 1st time! woohoo!! My 1st year in the business & I get to go to convention, thanks to my parents and husband!! I am blessed :)

StandingStill

Do you ever feel like you are standing still in life? I sure do. But one of the very 1st things I learned about magick, the law of attraction...  is that we are always moving. We are never stationery. We are either moving forward, or we are moving backwards. But I feel like I am just barely treading water. Like I'm wasting time. Just standing still and not accomplishing much of anything at all. It's so hard to explain how I feel. It all comes down to be unhappy. I am not where I am suppose to be. I can feel it. I can sense it. I'm not happy and fulfilled in my job. I want to be a successful passion parties consultant. Making good money. Making others and myself happy. But I'm not there. I'm still in nursing. And the work is not exciting or uplifting to my spirit. It is slow paced, I am bored. So if it is universally impossible to be motionless, to be standing still. Why do we sometimes feel like that is what we are doing?  What is that feeling all about? Where does it come from?  Is that how we know we are unhappy, or need a change?

I guess I actually can identify with the 'moving backwards'. That would make sense now that I think about it. My wages have decreased significantly. The work I'm doing is work I did for 11 years. And that was 7 years ago that I stopped doing this particular work. So, yes. I have moved backwards.

        NOW is the time for change. NOW is the turning point! I have not been working in a facility as a CNA now for about a year & a half. But I am ready to get back. I am ready to stop suffering financially and spiritually. I can't pay my bills. My husband pays for some of my bills. That makes me feel aweful. I do not feel independent! And I absolutely loathe that feeling completely. I am ready to take my life by the reins. I want so badly to be a highly successful consultant. I want to be in the million dollar club & an executive director. I want to inspire others to reach for the stars and find them! I want to be a success story. I want to be able to buy things I want for my spiritual practice, for my everyday life, for my family. I do not like to borrow money from my kids, or not be able to give them a good christmas. It makes me feel like a failure, and that I've gone back in time 10 to 30 years. 

I did have the money. A lot of money. I wasted it. And I did not appreciate it. I was not thankful or grateful for it. I complained, and wished, and whined that it was not enough. So things got worse and worse & I lost it all. I have done much growing spiritually. I've gained knowledge along the way. I have learned to respect everything in the universe and on this planet. I am grateful everyday, for everything. I practice a life of gratitude. And my blessings increase. I recently applied to go back to the retirement center I worked at for 6 years. That too would be going backwards in life. But I want my income back that I deserve. At first I was very heart broken that I was turned down. But I quickly saw it was a blessing. And I am thankful that I tried, and was turned down. Because it got me on the road back to wanting to work in a nursing facility again. I'm not bitter any longer about the things that happened at WRC. Everything happens for a reason. And the very next day I was thinking about calling a facility. And on my last client appointment I was handed a newspaper to read. I turned to the help wanted ads. And the very first help wanted ad was for the facility I had just been thinking of all day long! *giggles* YAY! They are looking for CNA's. AND giving sign on bonus's! I've never gotten a sign on bonus before. I will get this job! I will be happy! And more passion parties bookings will come to me, and I will grow my team and spread the word of passion and increase my consultants, helping the passion parties family grow!

Imbolc Blessings xo ~ WiccanMoon ~

 
sigtag by me :: graphics purchased at Vanilla Patch

PaganBlogProject2013-Week5-C

C is for Scott Cunningham

Scott Cunningham passed to the next world on March 28, 1993. I find it amazing that it feels to me like he is alive though. When I read his books, it doesn't feel like the books were written years ago. They feel like they were written today. Written for me to find answers I seek today. I feel it is amazing that it is on that same date 2011 that I found myself realizing that I am a witch. And that I am going to go forward and learn all I can about this path that I have been so curious about. That keeps coming back to my mind year after year after year & I just kept pushing it away. March 28, 2011 is the day I learned about Witch-School. And started out on my journey. But I do not want this post to be about me. I want it to be about a man who feels very much alive for me.

As I look at his name, I think it is curious that I was going to write my post this week on The Cunning Folk. And there it is 'cunning'. Scott lived a cunning life. It shows in all the books he wrote on herbs, aromatherapy, magickal healing... I have already learned a lot from him in just the 2 short years I have been on my path of discovery. Scott wrote many books. He was a solitaire practitioner. Although he on occasion did worship with friends & teachers. Scott Cunningham studied under Raven Grimassi for 2 years from 1980-1982 before going solo. Scott believed that Wicca should become more open to newcomers. It had basicly remained a closed tradition to newcomers since the 1950's.

When I 1st entered the world of spirituality and paganism, the book I heard most mentioned was Wicca - for the solitary practitioner by Scott Cunningham. This is my 1st book within the craft. It was a very easy read. Easy to understand; having no knowledge of the craft at all. I have since purchased other books by Scott Cunningham. Such as  Living Wicca, Wicca in the Kitchen, Magical Household, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.

There is so much work left by Scott Cunningham. I hope to be able to purchase all of his books. They really ring true for what I am searching for. The fill a part of me that has always had one foot in the ancient past...