It's been a long, long time since I've posted anything on here, but here I am again. In the words of William Sherlock Scott Holmes, "Not Dead."

So much time has passed in fact that I stopped considering myself even partially a Christian, and have been for around two years now a full-on solitary Eclectic Wiccan (which is why I deleted the first post on this blog explaining my earlier beliefs, because that's not quite outdated and not the case).

The last years have been very hard on me, full of transitions and losses. I'm in my 3rd year in college right now and lately I've been losing myself in various things: writing my books, Pinterest, Tumblr (especially Tumblr), college work, PC gaming, etc. To be honest, I practically forgot I even made this blog. I don't post in it often, and I know it literally has zero followers right now, but I don't want to delete it. I might keep on with seasonal posts. I don't know. Basically I just wanted to put an update out there for now.

Mabon, "The Witch's Thanksgiving", The Autumnal Equinox

 Mabon: September 21st-24th

 Hey guys, I'm back! I just spent a long vacation visiting my parents and my college is about to start up again, so I figured I'd post this before I get busy with schoolwork and forget. Oh, and I'm also supposed to be moving (again) so there's the packing of all my stuff, and...yeah.

First and foremost,as I said earlier I am totally addicted to Pinterest, and I have made a pin board for all of the Wiccan Sabbats! I also made one for other witchy things like gardens, kitchens, and just plain witchy stuff. (If you don't know what pinterest is, basically it's a big cork board full of pictures that link to webpages and stuff. So there's recipes, fashion stuff, DIY projects, photography, and pretty much everything imaginable on there) So here's my pinboard for the upcoming Sabbat! There's stuff like recipes for Mulled wine and apple butter as well as infographics about the holiday.

Link to my Mabon board on Pinterest!

I'm constantly adding stuff I find to my boards, so check back before the holidays for new pins!

With that said, I am so pumped for autumn this year. In the first place, Mother nature has been having a perpetual heat stroke of late, so I'm dying just for a breezy fall day. Secondly I love the turning of the leaves because it is just the prettiest thing ever. I guess I have that in common with Tenchi Muyo's Grandpa.  Also I'm excited to see what Halloween is like at the new neighborhood, but I'll save that for Samhain. I suspect the leaves will turn extra early this year because of all the droughts we've been experiencing.

Anyways, now some info about Mabon. Mabon is the second harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year, preceded by Lughnasadh/Lammas and followed by Samhain. It has many names: Mabon, Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home, the Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair or Alban Elfed. It is the harvest of fruits, vegetables, and whatever grains are leftover from Lughnasadh. Personally, when I found out about the Wheel of the Year it made so much more sense to me than the "modern" calendar. Firstly, it makes sense to celebrate the new year at Samhain or Halloween, when the plants have died back and the earth is going into a slumber, instead of having New Years randomly stuck into the middle of winter, where there is no visible change in the earth. Secondly, it makes sense to celebrate the harvest WHEN THE CROPS ARE HARVESTED, not in November when everything is long dead and there's snow on the ground and fresh food (in olden times) was no longer available.

Doesn't it make sense in early fall to have the "thanks giving" and harvest celebrations when the earth has yielded up her abundance? I think it makes way more sense than the modern day "thanksgiving" tradition, which is such a farce really because Pilgrims and Native Americans did not magically get along like all those Precious Moments greeting cards would have you believe. In fact I dislike modern Thanksgiving day because it glosses over a period of of cultural oppression and imperialism. If anyone actually paid attention in history class, I'm sure they find the "legend of Thanksgiving day" a bit ignorant. And actually, turkey was not served at "The first Thanksgiving", just FYI. But I digress.

It never made sense to me as a kid as I trudged to Grandma's apartment through five feet of snow in 10 degree weather that we were celebrating Pilgrims and Native Americans having as harvest feast in the middle of cold, snowy November. I mean, they're pictured as being outside at that dinner, and it's basically fall, right? Leaves are falling from the trees, there's no snow, corn is just being harvested, etc. Which puts it around the time Mabon is supposed to be, the end of September. But instead it's supposedly November. But November is WINTER, and in the east coast colonial area it was assuredly covered with snow at that point in time. No one in their right mind would hold a feast outside in that weather. --Wearing dresses and no coats. And white stockings. Ridiculous. Plus the crops would have been long harvested and stored away, so they wouldn't be fresh. Also, being the first winter the Pilgrims spent there, and they being not all too amazing at farming considering they had to start completely from scratch after they got there, building houses and tilling and plowing, they wouldn't have had time to plant much of anything and grow it to fruition. Honestly the first Thanksgiving was pretty lean on the tables. People did starve to death that winter. The Native Americans took pity and shared some of their food, yes. Because otherwise their new British neighbors were all going to freeze and starve. Yet people picture it as these cultured British folks sharing food with the "savage" natives and teaching them manners and whatnot over turkey. Ugh. When I see all these mockups of Natives and Pilgrims sitting outside in what looks like autumn, being bestest friends like something out of a Disney movie when of course they didn't even know each other's languages, it looks silly.

 But hey, I don't mean to sound grouchy. It's just I feel like modern society keeps confusing its own holidays people don't remember what the roots are for the traditions, especially when each holiday is an amalgam of like ten bazillion different traditions from places all over the world (mostly Europe and it's neighboring islands though). And when people think of Thanksgiving as "displaced in time" as I like to call it (because we celebrate it in winter when it really should be an autumnal thing) it's just a giant pet peeve of mine. Oh my god, I think, don't you understand there were always harvest celebrations all over the world way before the Pilgrims almost starved to death on a little frozen rock near Plymouth and had to rely on help of the natives?

 My point is, the harvest festivals of the Wheel of the Year make so much more sense than modern holidays. The real harvest is middle of August to end of October, with Mabon as the climax for crops. And this is not about Pilgrims and Native Americans, but rather about thanksgiving to the bounty of the earth and for family and friends, celebrating the fruits of your labor that went into growing the crops. And thanking your deity too, if you want. It's about knowing winter is just around the bend, so this is the time to make merry while you can. It's also the time for you to preserve food, for those with gardens--canning, making jams and jellies and pies and freezing things and such. It's a celebration of survival, people. And though dormant, it does still exist in its "unpilgrimy" form in our cultural memory--just why do you think before we see Halloween decorations, people load their porches with pumpkins and gourds and those bundles of tall grass and "Indian" corn and have the welcoming fall flags up? Really THAT is the time we should be celebrating our Thanksgiving, not the start of winter. Sense, people. This whole modern society disconnect with the land thing is screwing up our heads, man. It's not right. We need to get back to the Old Ways, and I'm not talking about religion, I'm talking about attuning one's body to the cycle of the earth. It's refreshing and helps us get in touch without roots. It stops us from taking our world for granted.

Eclectics and Following Your Own Path

      Oh. Hai. So I've been on hiatus for awhile due to overall CRAZINESS at my place (as well as a month without internet, trying to fix and sell a house, moving stuff to another house, etc) so I haven't posted in...okay I really don't want to think about it. But I miss blogging and I like my little blog so I think I'll keep at it even if nobody reads it.

Also, what the heck happened to Blogspot while I was away? I am so confused.

Anyways, here's a link to a good article on eclectic traditions. http://witchesandpagans.com/EasyBlog/scavenge-synthesize.html 

     I'm an eclectic myself because I like to take everything good out of all the traditions worldwide. Plus, my philosophy is that nobody is right or wrong about religion, and no religion is "The One" so limiting myself to only one religion would be narrow minded to me and kind of boring. The Divine has many faces and to only worship one aspect of it feels wrong to me. Which is why I hate that religions are constantly trying to wipe each other form the face of the Earth because each one thinks their the only "true" religion. Just as we have faith, we must also doubt, and so not trap ourselves in a little spiritualism box. We must be willing to both move towards new ideas and doubt or leave behind old ones. This is simply how we grow. It is natural. 

      What is unnatural is being forced (by oneself or others) to only follow one path, even if you don't like it, because of the pressure of fear, which could be fear of the community's opinion of you, or fear of that deity or deities themselves. Both fears are equally bad for one's soul. There should be no fear in religion. It is not the point of religion to scare you into doing what is right. Religion is supposed to be simple philosophy, by which you learn for yourself not "how to do good things" but how to be a better person on the inside. You can be an upstanding member of a religious group and do everything that religion tells you to do and still have a soul as black as coal. People always seem to miss out on the point of religion, and view it only as something to follow or be damned.

      This is the problem with religion: damning. No religion should damn, not other religions or their own followers for committing "sins". Religion isn't about damning. It's about personal philosophy and the positive growth of one's soul.

      And so, with this in mind, I'm not afraid of "going to hell" because of moving away from Christianity, which was my birth-religion, by exploring other religions. I'm not afraid of some divine punishment for seeking out myself through various faces of deities. I think life is a quest to create oneself, and if we don't doubt or explore we become mindless sheep, following unquestionably whoever was appointed to lead us, even if they lead us into dark places. 

     It is so hard to break away from one's birth religion, for fear of punishment in some form or another, or fear of being wrong. It really is, and takes a lot of courage to deviate from one's original path. I commend eclectics, because they don't take crap from anybody and they travel enough paths to gain true wisdom.

     If you only travel one path, how do you know it is taking you to where you want to go? How do you know if there is not a better path somewhere that you've yet to find? 

Here's a challenge for you:

     Forget about religion. Forget whatever it is that you follow, or, if you're an atheist, don't follow. Strip away all the tethers those religions and philosophies have put on your moral compass, trying to pull it this was and that. Let is spin freely, and see where it points to. 

     Examine everything within you. What do you cherish in life, what do you find sacred (it could be anything, not what you've been TOLD is sacred) what do you value in other human beings? Kindness, compassion, the ability to listen without judgement and speak without hindrance of fear? Find what is is that you value, find your philosophy, YOUR philosophy--not your church's, coven's, mosque's, temple's, what have you; find YOUR philosophy. 

     It might sound kind of difficult at first, but here's an easy way to see into your subconscious morality--remember all your favorite movies, books, etc. Remember why you liked a certain person, or commended someone for a specific action. 

     Cinna from the Hunger Games, because he listened to Katniss and snuck her the pin? Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet because he tried to stop Romeo and Tybalt from fighting? The Good Witch from ABC because she forgave the man who tried to steal her house?

      Figure out why you feel the way you do about things. That tells you where your morals are.

      Now, remember all those faces of all the different deities of the religions of the world? Yeah, forget those. Forget they ever existed. 

     How do YOU picture god, goddess, or gods? What is the face of the divine (to you)? It might not even necessarily have to be a face. It could be like my idea of the Divine, that is has no exact form. Could it be in the face of a child, rife with hope and wonder and innocence, and full of benevolence and trust? Could it be a strong warrior-like figure, a protector of the weak? Or is it something darker, a hooded figure, silently guiding you through the night? Perhaps it is all of these things. 

     You must find for yourself what your philosophy, your religion is, even if it is one that you have created yourself. If it feels right to you, do it. And I don't mean creating some false religion where you have to eat pizza every Friday or stealing is acceptable or you can do whatever you want because it's fun and easy or whatnot. No. I mean you pull out your own heart, examine it, and find what is divine in the world to you. Then either find a world religion (or two or three or however many) that mesh with your personal philosophies and follow it, or follow your own path.

Aura by Thomas Bergersen

EPIC MUSIC IS EPIC.

I've had this stuck in my head for days. The end gives me the same feel as the Color the Sky song by Two Steps from Hell. God, I freaking love symphonic/choral music like this. Best song genre. Ever.

*Opens up iTunes to check her Honor & Glory playlist*

I think my favorite bands/artists in this genre are:

• Two Steps From Hell
• Nightwish
• Epic Score
• Thomas Bergerson
• Immediate Music
• Bear McCreary
• Steve Jablonsky
• Audiomachine
• John Powel
• Jan Morgenstern
• Craig Armstrong
• Jesper Kyd
• Geoff Zanelli
• Hans Zimmer
• Jeremy Soule
• UNKLE
• Keiki Kobayashi
• Cornerstone Cues
• Mark Petrie
• Zack Hemsey
• Killer Tracks
• Omnia
• Loreena McKennitt

The last two aren't really quite the same genre as the rest, and don't use whole orchestras, but their vocals and instruments as just as harmonius and amazing.

Color the Sky by Two Steps from Hell - The meaning of life

This song...holds the meaning of life. Not just of life, as we think about it in petty human terms, but of all existence, for all time. Honestly, I listened to this song for three hours straight, and had a spiritual revelation. It's hard to describe, because to understand it you must be in this trance state. It went a little something like this:

Life is transience

Time is an delusion

Existence is a divine illusion

The whole of all is rapture

All stems from the whim of creation

God is an author who lives through his characters

We are all God

God is all of us

Life unto death unto life again

Plunging in and out of existence

Eternally reinterpreting self

Circle, circle

Forever

I wish I could explain it better. I really do. But it cannot be explained, only experienced. You must forget everything. You must forget your sense of self which tethers you to a single form, a single mind. You must realize that you are everything--that neighbor cutting his grass, that pilot flying through the sky, that dog barking as you pass by, trying to protect his home. Everything, everyone, every life of every kind is the same thing. Everything exists simultaneously. There is no past, no future, only the moment, and all happens within the moment. The moment of creation, of experience. The divine is experiencing life as an ancient hominid, wandering nomadically with their tribe at the same time as it is experiencing being a minuteman in the American Revolution, at the same time as it is writing this blog, fingers tapping on the keyboard, at the same time it is staring at a computer screen, reading this other person's blog. Time does not exist. We are all the same force played out over and over again, reinterpreting, experiencing, becoming, changing. Everything exists separately as it experiences all from one consciousness, but everything is happening simultaneously. Consciousness' interact with one another, because time is a delusion.

God is not a form, a person, a figure. God has no gender. God is only the Divine, that from whence everything comes, and everything returns. The Divine is simply a force of creation, taking rapture in creating, experiencing everything, like a newborn child, or an author. This is God. There is no good or evil. Only existence, and the whole of existence is rapture. The divine goes through one full existence as a single consciousness, then is reborn as a new one. The divine is both aware of itself in its primal form and unaware of itself in it's eternal transmutational forms of existence.

I'm sorry. This is getting really confusing sounding. As I said, it can't be explained, only experienced. I think authors will grasp it more easily. They write to experience from a certain consciousness. To create. That is what they an impulse drives them to do. They cannot not create. At the same time that they are their character Mathew enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a great new book in their favorite cafe, they are the waitress Allison at that cafe, asking Mathew if he'd like more coffee, and Mathew's friend Shawn, showing up and seeing Mathew unexpectedly and feeling a rush of serendipitous joy. At the same time they are Mathew's father, fighting in WWII, meeting Mathew's mother as a nurse. Keep going. Keep the story unfolding. Past and present are created simultaneously, because time is a delusion. The story never ends. It continues on forever.

As Tsou, who is my character and therefore myself, just as I am also a 'character', puts it, "Such is mortal life: a fleeting rapture."

In a way, as we are but an experience of one consciousness, and our characters are but an experience of one consciousness, we are equal, and neither is more "real" than the other. All fiction is real.

Follow me on Pinterest!

Hey guys! I just started a Pinterest account, which if you don't already know, is a site that basically acts as a giant corkboard for things you love. And I love witches. And everything abut witches. So I made a board called All Things Witchy which you can find here on my account: http://pinterest.com/autumngracy/

I post things involving autumn, Halloween / Samhain, other Sabbats, witchy fashion, tools, food, crafts, artwork, etc.

I update it all the time because I am now addicted to pinning. Yay.

Blessed be,
-Autumn

Happy Ostara Everyone!



Happy and blessed Ostara!
     Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but there's been a huge warm spell where I live, and so it feels almost like summer already! This makes today (or depending differing traditions on when you celebrate it, the 18-22nd), the Spring Equinox, Ostara, even more wonderful. Ostara celebrates the return to life in the land, and the near equal times of night and day, looking forward to Beltane as the light keeps increasing. Ostara was named for the Norse goddess Ostara or Eostre, harbinger of spring, fertility, and playfulness.

Other Goddesses from around the world that are celebrated in the spring are:

	Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus
	Ashtoreth from ancient Israel
	Astarte from ancient Greece
	Demeter from Mycenae
	Hathor from ancient Egypt
	Ishtar from Assyria
	Kali, from India
	

     Colors of this holiday include pastels like yellow, green, pink, purple, and blue, in correspondence with he small flowers poking their heads up through the earth this time of year. Ostara's main symbols are eggs, rabbits, and flowers. It is a celebration of rebirth, joy, and hope. Sounding a bit like Easter? Well, maybe that's because Ostara came before it, and Christians incorporated much of the meaning and symbolism of the Pagan holiday into their religion. Easter even came from the other name of the virginal goddess: Eastre. Ever wondered what rabbits and eggs and such have to do with a holiday that celebrates the return of Christ? Well, other than them all fitting into one big metaphor of new life, almost nothing. You won't hear Jesus lecturing about rabbits and chickens in the middle of the desert.

For more info on the Pagan origins of Easter, click here: http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm

     This seems to be a common theme, I've noticed, of mainstream holidays. On Christmas half the kids or more are way more interested in St. Nicholas/Father Christmas than on the birth of Jesus, and the same goes for Easter; most kiddies are thinking about what that big fluffy E. Bunny is going to leave them than what their pastor's going to say at church. I think the lesson of this is that no matter what, religions should work cohesively together and incorporate all the good aspects of each other. One cannot completely exclude the ideas of another. If you say that all the traditions, all the Old Ways of yesteryear are wrong, you're bound to be leaving a gaping hole in people's heart. I say let people rejoice in whatever way feels cohesive to them personally. Actually, heck, that should be the whole point of religion--do what feels right to you as is good for all other people as well.



     Some things just feel right. Spring is a time to celebrate the reawakening of the earth, and it's going to be celebrated that way no matter what religious dogma is imposed on the Season. Mother Earth has a lot to teach us, and ignoring the changing seasons as inconsequential is denying something that is and has always been inherently human. We are bound to the earth and as she fills with abundance so do our hearts.



     Some of the things done to celebrate Ostara are to take a nice long walk around the yard and see what's popping up, to plant an herb garden, to color and decorate eggs, and to do some sprucing up around the house or yard to maintain a healthy feeling of change.

     My personal favorite thing about this time of year are the hyacinths, which are absolutely my favorite flower because they just smell like Spring, potential, and hopefulness. Plus they are totally adorable.

     Another thing to do is to grab your besom and sweep off your front porch (if you have one) and sidewalk to invite good luck, wealth, and prosperity into your home (not to mention some old friends).

     I also like to watch all the birds busily building their nests (A pair of mourning doves, my favorite small birds, are nesting in a pine near my window) and hopping about looking for worms. You could make some bird treats for them if you like, like rolling a pine cone in peanut butter and wild bird seeds and hanging it up in the trees, or putting out a bird feeder or bird bath.

     Another thing to do is to make some wreaths or take those plastic Easter eggs they sell and tie them with ribbons to the branches of the trees or bushes outside. This will make your yard more colorful and maybe even inspire your neighbors.

     For the more daring sort, (and for those who have adequate space and time) you could buy some little chicks and start a chicken coop in your backyard! These will provide you with nice fresh eggs all year round and will most certainly put a smile on your face.

     Above all this is the time of year for making big plans for the future, getting active, eating nutritiously, and getting in touch with nature as the earth is waking up from it's slumber.

     For more information on Ostara this lovely website has some insight and seasonal crafts by StormWing: http://citadelofthedragons.tripod.com/ostara.html
and another by Herne: http://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/ostara.htm

Blessings,
     -Autumn

The Birth of Responsibility

Spring is coming!

And you all know what THAT means.

Spring Cleaning!

Yep, that's right folks. I know you're all going to complain that all that effort simply isn't worth it, but seriously, it is. Especially for pet owners, when cats and dogs are shedding like crazy in light of the warmer weather. Doing a thorough vacuuming of your whole house will reduce fur and dander as well as dust and those lovely little microbial things that come with it. And, if you're like me, you can say a few blessings under you breath as you sweep out the kitchen with your besom. Yes, I know, some people may think using your besom instead of a regular icky modern plastic brooms is unthinkable, but by using an old fashoined one, as a kitchen witch might, it invites tradition and ancenstral memory of how cleaning the house isn't just physical hygeine, but spiritual. It invites in the new and sweeps out the old, opening you up to new opportunities and productive, confident thoughts. Sweeping your walk and/or porch outside will also invite happiness and luck into your home.

This is also a great time to redesign the look of your rooms. Rearranging furniture helps to keep things fresh and feeling like you're not just stuck in the same hum-drum routine of things. Using your space efficeitnly can help make your house feel bigger and reduce clutter, because after all, clutter usually piles up i theose little teeny corners we don't use much, until it gets out of control and spills into the places we do. Positioning your decor so that there are fewer of these little unusable corners will cut down on your pentiant to throw stuff there "temporarily". You could also paint your walls some new colors, or tear down that garish 70's plaid wallpaper you've been dying to get rid of since you moved in, hint hint.

And, actually, cleaning happens to be great exercise. Getting up off the couch and putting your lazy butt into gear will help you feel more productive, proactive, happy, and fulfilled.

Also, adding some new elements to the house is a good idea too, especially if they happen to be fire, earth, air and water. Adding a little fountain on your night stand or some candles on your shelves will make the space feel cozier and more natural. Using earth tones in your design plan also helps make it feel more relaxing. And let's not forget the flora! Every house should have at least a couple living plants in them to help liven (excuse the pun) things up. Seriously, especially for guys who aren't 'gardeney types' this simple element is highly underrated. Having plants in your house--some flowers on you kitchen table for example, or a nice little tree in the corner of your study or office--makes the space feel so much more alive, not to mention you get the benefit of knowing something living depends on you. Plants also help keep the air fresh, since they breathe in Co2 and exhale oxygen. They also add a nice aesthetic flair to any room.

And besides the obvious, it should be time to root through your belongings and find the things that you no longer need or could stand to part with. Even if you love all your 'treasures' they can pile up and become overwhelming, and trust me, you don't want to end up on Hoarders: Buried Alive, just because you couldn't bear to part with them. You could always save some stuff to have a garage sale in the warmer months, but how much is a little money when you think about how much work you'll have to put into it and how little profit you'll actually make, not to mention the fact that when people set stuff aside for a garage sale only half of them end up doing it. Instead of letting boxes crowd your garage just take them to the nearest church, Salvation Army thrift store, etc. Donations are always appreciated and they can use any money made to help those in need.

And now, onto...

Gardening!

Lastly, it's time to think about gardening! What would you like to have in your yard this year? Do you want to plant some crops like tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, etc, to save you some trips to the grocery store? Plus homegrown food is safer than store bought, and tastes much, MUCH better. Trust me. My dad is an avid gardener. His thumb is like, neon green, I swear.

Another thought is fruit trees! These require minimal care, only a few pesticide sprayings here or there, and boom! You've got fresh fruit every year. The blooms on them are particularly beautiful as well, and very fragrant. Speaking or scents, who doesn't love the smell of honeysuckle wafting through the summer air? Or for me, hyacinths: my favorite reminder that spring is hear and Easter/Ostara is on is near. Or, plant some pumpkins! It's fun to see how huge they can grow, and then you have your perfect jack-o-lantern canvas for Halloween/Samhain! Plus, pumpkins and sunflowers can give you some great seeds. And pies (Okay, sunflowers not so much). Corn is especially great to grow because it freezes so well and can be preserved for years. Just pop it in a boiling pot and voila! Fresh corn on the cob. Or dry it and make your own popcorn, or use it to decorate for Thanksgiving! And strawberries! Strawberries are AWESOME. You can put them on cereal, make them into milkshakes, pies, creams, jams, and all manner or tasty things. And have you ever tasted a fresh mint leaf? Plus those suckers grow like CRAZY without any help at all, and you can cut of some sprigs, hang them up and let them dry, then use them in cooking, just like you can with a bunch of other herbs like basil and thyme and such.

     There are so many benefits to gardening! Not to mention all the hummingbirds and butterflies it can attract. Plus, planting colorful flowers will make your yard really stand out and make coming home a sensual extravaganza. You could even add some things like bench swings, gazing balls (or, in some cases, witches balls *wink wink*) trellises with roses or ivy, hammocks, statues, or anything else that catches your eye and makes the outdoors very tempting to explore on a nice warm day.

So there you have it, all the reasons you should spring clean and grow a garden! May your home, inside and out, blessed be!

-Autumn

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

And some words from one of my top favorite people ever--Abraham Lincoln! Totally one of the best presidents ever. O Captain, my Captain!

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

-Abraham Lincoln

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.

-Abraham Lincoln

Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

-Abraham Lincoln

Whatever you are be a good one.
- Abraham Lincoln

All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind.

-Abraham Lincoln

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

-Abraham Lincoln 

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.

-Abraham Lincoln

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.

-Abraham Lincoln

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.
-Abraham Lincoln

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?

-Abraham Lincoln

I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.

-Abraham Lincoln

Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality.

-Abraham Lincoln

I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.

-Abraham Lincoln

It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.

-Abraham Lincoln

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.

-Abraham Lincoln

The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read.

-Abraham Lincoln

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.

-Abraham Lincoln

John Lennon Quotes

 

Some choice quotes from one of my many favorite role models:

Time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted.

-John Lennon

We've got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep watering it. You've got to really look after it and nurture it.

-John Lennon

 

 

I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?

-John Lennon

Imbolc, among other things

Hey guys, I hope you all had a wonderful Imbolc! While I was too busy (and exhausted) to do anything special for it (including posting something, unfortunately) I did think about it all day. I thought a lot on the aspects of Brigit and how she is a trifold goddess that encompasses strength, inspiration and motherly love. She is a forge master, and combined with being an excellent muse that indicates that she can be very helpful to authors, poets and other wordsmiths.

( ^^^ I too laugh at the '2st', but it is a nice picture)

Imbolc is a time to reach down into the (mostly frozen, at least where I live) earth and feel the budding excitement of the seeds as life begins to stir beneath the snowy soil. Temperatures will soon give way to life-giving warmth, and the sun continues to regain its hold over the length of the day until midsummer. Days are getting longer, morning commutes brighter, and the bitter cold of winter is fast fading. Now and all through spring we open ourselves up to new endeavors, new hopes, new dreams. We plan for the brighter, warmer future, not just of his year but of our lives, and our new found zeal conjures up fantastical images of the days to come. This is the time to plan new excursions into learning, to do a little spring cleaning not only of our home but our minds as well in order to prepare for all the new adventures and opportunities opening up. We have contemplated ourselves through the time of Yule, and now we cast away what we no longer need or what is merely distracting us from better things. We send out tendrils of anticipation all around us, waiting for the time to shed our coats and spend more time outdoors; the time to stop and smell the roses. As we look forward to Ostara, think about clearing away the clutter of your life. Is there someone who you should devote more attention to? Your daughter, your grandparents, your siblings? Is there something you've wanted to do for yourself but haven;t had to time to yet? Now is when you should plan to do these things, mapping out how and when to get the done. Bake some cookies for your neighbors, surprise a friend, go see a chick flick, whatever it is that will provide you with serenity, clarity of mind and joy.


"...And now for something completely different" -Monty Python
I'm going to start posting a picture-quote from day to day, so to get things started off...

The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.

-Katherine Mansfield

As always, blessed be and have a wonderful day, week, month, year, and life!