Life's Journey

Well with my First Degree Initiation done I am ready to start on a new leg of my Spiritual Journey. I feel a sense of accomplishment. While I have been studying various Pagan Path's for a number of years, actually following a course of study, with a qualified teacher has made a huge difference to me. The initiation ritual was wonderful. I'm undecided on what course of study I will follow now while working towards by second degree. I am leaning towards herbal studies but need to think some more about it. I would also like to start concentrating more on my "magick." I consider myself a very Spiritual person in that I honor the Sabbats and do work with the Goddess on the full moon. I have never done a lot of magick. I would like to incorporate some conjure type magic into my personal style of magick. I will see where that takes me.

I am excited about Lammas tomorrow and the first harvest. I acually harvested green beans, cucumbers and potatoes from my garden yesterday. Even though we still have plenty of heat ahead of us I feel Fall, my favorite time of year, coming closer.

Blessings,

Emerald Storm

Litha Herb Gathering

Litha is a good time to gather herbs, whether from the wild or from your own magickal herb garden. Herbs gathered at Litha, when the sun is at its peak, are powerful for use in magickal workings. Dried herbs from your garden can also be used to make sachets and dreams pillows. Remember when gathering herbs from the wild to never take them all. Also remember to leave something behind. A gift for a gift.

Herbs nurtured and grown in our own magickal gardens have our own personal power that we put into them. Stock your magickal cabinet with herbs from your own garden. Remember to look around your yard. Many common weeds have magickal properties also. I have decided to try to forge a relationship with Creeping Charlie since he is in so much abundance in my yard. A plant that resilient must have strong magick. I’m hoping he will share those secrets with me.

Use your herbs in your magickal spells. Magic can be performed on all phases of the moon. New moon magick for new beginnings, for example, looking for a job. Waxing moon magic is for bringing stuff to you and the waning moon is for banishing or getting rid of something.

Solstice Blessings to everyone!

White Tara

I did not write this but borrowed it from another site. It says so many of the things that have going thru my head lately.

White Tara

Sensitivity

Message from White Tara: As you’ve purified your inner world of thoughts, actions, and intentions, it’s natural that you seek purity in your outer world as well. This is to acknowledge your heightened sensitivity, which is as real as it seems! You’ve stripped away the outer protective layers of unneeded defenses, which blocked your psychic and spiritual awareness. Now you’re on the path of ascension, which calls for your heightened awareness. And with this awareness comes new levels of sensitivity to the impure and harsh. Your body is a trustworthy instrument of measurement of your tolerance level. Steer clear of that which the body signals you to avoid. Take excellent care of your body, and it shall serve you well.

Various meanings of this card: Acknowledge and honor your sensitivity * Take steps to protect yourself from negativity * Avoid chemicals * Steer clear of situations with loud noise, crowds, violent media, and other triggers.

About White Tara (pronounced TAIR – uh): White Tara is an aspect of Tara, a female Buddha and Hindu Mother Creator. The many female faces of the Buddha and Mother Creator are represented as various colors of Tara. White Tara represents purity, maturity, and compassion. The eyes on her hands, feet, and forehead allow her to be aware of all prayers. She helps us to live long and peaceful lives.

Our roots

I become very interested in tracing my roots a few years back around Samhain. I contacted my Aunt (on my mom's side) who had done a family tree for my grandparents and she sent me all the information she had. I was excited and pleased to see that she had traced our family back to Adam and Janty Klaasen. They had come to America from Prussia, Germany in the early 1850's. Because they had settled and stayed in the same place, as did all the generations since then, It was easy to do the family tree. It also helped that they were fairly new immigrants. I was able to do tombstone rubbings of these two brave people who took tempted fate and took a chance at building a life in a world that was strange and unfamiliar to them.

Tracing my father's roots has been a bit more challenging. I am not in contact with any of his relatives and therefore cannot pick their brains for information. My surname Searle is very English and the last generation I can trace came from Canada. He remembers that his grandmother was Cherokee Indian but since his mother didn't get along with her he doesn't have a whole lot of information about her besides a name. Both of my grandparents on my father's side have passed.

It's fascinating and exciting when you get a clue about where you come from. It's not something I thought a lot about while growing up. It was more about immediate family. I still think immediate family is important but since I've started studying the various Pagan traditions I've had a craving for more information. I want to know where I come from so I can include that in my Spiritual path.

Munay-Ki

To Munay-Ki or not to Munay-Ki that is the question. This is something I have been thinking about for awhile. I have read the website and talked to people that received the rites. It seems to be the "in" thing for a lot of Pagans right now and since I have a bit of a rebel in me I don't really like going with the norm. lol I thought I would weigh the positive against the negative. On a positive note people that get them seem to really like them and state they are life changing. They are free. That's it for positive. Now the negative, I know of four instances where people that have received them have ditched their friends, or thought they had become better than them or something along those lines. Another negative, not crazy about people messing in my energy fields or planting some invisible "seed" in me. I think I would have to trust someone an awful lot to let them perform these rites on me. Another problem I have with it all is that I think before people start trying to mess in other peoples energies they need to settle the problems they have or it's hard telling what they are actually planting in you. My shield is a thick brick wall with flames on the outside of it and swords at all four directions and I don't usually let people in and not sure I'm ready to put down my guard for this. I think to be a healer you have to heal yourself first and reach a balance and harmony in your own life. Don't really want to dump my friends either.

So it's sounding like the munyki thing is not going to be for me. Those of you receiving these rites I wish you the best and hope they do something for you. Just don't ditch our friendship please:)

New Blog

Not sure what this is going to be all about yet. Perhaps my second degree studies (if I ever figure out for sure what that is). There will probably be a lot about being green. Somewhat of a passion of mine. Will give it some thought and write later.