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

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!

La Magia y Tu (translation, chapter 1)

This is a book that I purchased at Barnes and Nobles in the Spanish section. So far I can't find any actual English translation anywhere, so I've begun translating it myself (thank goodness for Google Translator, though I have to fix its occasional mistakes). Here is the first chapter! Enjoy and blessed be!

Magic and You

By Migene González-Wippler

(Translated by Autumn Gracy)

1.   God and Nature

God is the creative force of the universe. All those who doubt the existence of god just have to look to nature to be convinced of the presence of a supernatural force within everything that exists. From the leaf of a tree to the subtle perfume of a rose, from the cry of a newborn to the circulation of blood and the magnitude of the human brain, everything in nature proclaims the creative power of God. So far, science cannot explain the evolution of life on earth, or how the first cell—the origin of life—was created. And the most extraordinary and incomprehensible thing is that everything that exists—from the smallest ant to the human being—came from the same original cell. It is inconceivable that everything that exists on earth and in the universe is the result of a cosmic accident. There is only one explanation for the creation and that explanation is the power of God. The great physicist Albert Einstein, who was a great believer in God, once said: "God is subtle but not malicious." That is, everything in nature and the universe has been created with great skill and finesse; not with the intention of misleading man, but with the idea of ​​enlarging his mind and polishing his spirit.

God is only one. All the different religions and faiths worship the same god with different names. The Arabs know him as Allah, the Jews call him Yahweh, the Hindus call him Brahma, the Santeros call him Oloddumarel, but in reality everyone is worshiping the same force because God has many names and many faces. The greatest sin and the greatest offense that can be done to God is to deny that he is the only god that exists. Whosoever thinks that the gods of the Egyptians and the gods of the witches and Aztec Indians are different forces that are not the true God is denying the unity of God because in reality there is nothing without him. This is the first and biggest truth you have to learn to be human. God is only one and there is nothing other than God.
The existence of God has been proven by modern science many years ago. Believing in God is not only an act of faith is a scientific reality.

God is expressed in thousands of ways in nature. His cosmic energy exists in every leaf, every grain of sand; in short, everything that exists. Some substances have a concentration of energy more powerful than others and these are used in works of magic. Among these substances are certain plants, trees, fruits, roots and stones. When assembled with the magic, the cosmic energy of each substance gives more strength to the intention of the work of magic and makes it more powerful and effective.

Everything that exists in nature is under the domain of the humans, as God gave man control over the earth and everything in it. But this also means that we as human beings have the responsibility of caring for nature and not abusing it. God gave man free will to choose good or evil, but also created several cosmic laws which cannot be infringed. When a man violates one of these laws, he sooner or later receives punishment for his fault. All different religions have sacred books where these laws--all similar--are written. For both Jews and Christians these laws are in the Bible, known as the judgments and statutes. These laws are outlined in the book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.

Many people think that so-called 'magic' is nothing but pure superstition and ignorance. Others believe that magic is an offense to God and as such is a sin. Neither is true. God made humans free to choose their life and gave them a guide; a series of laws. You can do with your life what you want. That includes magic. But what is magic and how does it work?

The magic is nothing but the intention to change something we do not like in our lives or something we want to attract to us. That intention, using rituals and special ingredients, is known as magic. So the magic is nothing but the exercise of human will, which God gave us to create humans. In terms of its operation, magic works through mental power, which is entirely natural and acceptable to modern science. Magic is not superstition, it is reality.

Full Circle - Loreena McKennitt