It is June already and summer has arrived here early in Alberta. The smoke from the wildfires is mostly gone and we had a few good thunderstorms this past weekend.
Tonight for some of us in the northern hemisphere, we will experience a full moon
A smoky red moon – charmedreflections.com
The Strawberry Moon
From the evening of June 3rd until the morning of June 4th, you may be able to catch a glimpse of this month’s full moon. June’s full moon is more commonly known as the Strawberry Moon. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the local native Americans named the moon for its berry picking season.
In other parts of the world, this full moon is known as Honey and Rose Moon. In terms of spiritual significance, rose and honeysuckle are the flowers for June. So, pick yourself some roses this weekend if you can afford it. I can’t, so I settled on carnations instead.
Spiritual significance
The spiritual significance for this month’s full moon is to focus on new opportunities whether in love or business, renewal of energy, and creating abundance. This coincides with strawberry picking and ripening of other fresh fruits that you may grow in your garden.
With the rising cost of foods, it only makes sense to regrow foods where possible, to stretch your budget longer and also, to be more mindful of waste.
Blooming of flowers, pruning and gardening
Birth of new projects, ideas or relationships
Practicing pleasure (doing things that bring you joy)
Picking and eating berries you have grown
Ripening both in a physical and spiritual sense
Summer solstice preparations and meditations
Working with sun and moon energy
I’m not going to share ritual ideas this month due to low engagement. However, I did manage to take a few photos last night. So, enjoy. Unfortunately, it was pretty smoky and hazy last night – so they aren’t as clear as usual.
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June is just a few days aways and thus marks the halfway point for 2023. Hard to believe the year is almost half over – time really does fly when you stop and think about it.
On June 21st in the northern hemisphere, we will celebrate Summer Solstice which marks the official start of summer. In other parts of the world, people are preparing for winter festivals. Here in Alberta, we seemed to have skipped spring and went straight into summer like weather. Longer days have arrived with the sun setting around 9pm at night and waking up before 6 am. The trees are in full bloom and everything is starting to turn green thanks to some rain this week.
The large tree outside my balcony is full of life and provides much shaded relief from the sun, and privacy at nighttime for when I want to sit outside.
Spiritual Significance of June
When it comes to spiritual significance, June reminds us it is a time for celebrating life and joy. It is a time for love, weddings and harmonizing unions. Whether with good friends, or your life partners.
If you’re single like me, then now is the time to welcome love into your life. Open yourself up to new people and potential partners. Or new kinds of relationships.
This may mean attending more social events, going on dates, or getting together with friends. Whatever dating might look like in your world. And if you’re happy being single, then take the time to celebrate with friends or loved ones.
June is also the time for picking berries and is known for a time of abundance and prosperity. Working with affirmations and “I am” phrases is encouraged this time of year to bring you some good luck!
This time of year, I look forward to celebrating Midsummer and I can’t help but think of the music from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and this piece by Mendelssohn. A feverish melody that invokes feelings of joy.
My Intentions for June (midsummer)
Now that summer is really underway here, I’m going to make the most of my time at home and try and get outside as much as possible. The one thing that has changed, is I made a nice group of friends in the kink community – all women. We’re going to start meeting once a month for coffee and crafting. I’m excited for this and so is everyone else. It’s a controlled group meaning – invitation only. That means, I’ve found a group where I can just be myself and not have to worry about feeling safe. I love organizing events and meeting new people, so that is my number one focus at this time.
Attend my group’s first “coffee and craft” meet! Already scheduled and location picked out. Work on arts & crafts (coloring, wreaths, etc).
Decorate bedroom and bring some “green” life to make it cozy. I’ve already got a quilt picked up and color scheme.
Spend some time with friends going to markets, or just hanging out at the parks or in backyards. Or on my balcony.
Spend at least 1-2 hours outside daily. 1 hour during the day to get sun, and at least 1 hour a night reading. Go for walks when up to it.
Tend to my flowers & garden as needed and keep plants alive! Pick up 1 bouquet of daisies or tulips
Finish reading at least 1 book per week – I’ve already started a new series and am about 120 pages in “The Elementals” and it’s good fun.
Write at least 10 chapters of my first book and re-work other books for publishing.
Do you work with monthly intentions? If so, let me know what your plans are for the month of May in the comments. Try creating a visioning board to help keep you on track.
All artwork on this post was created using Canva premium licensing
Important Dates to Remember
June 04-05 – Strawberry Moon, Full Moon
June 20-21 – Summer Solstice, Midsummer Festivals
June Correspondences
Astrological signs: Gemini and Cancer
Animals: birds, beavers and otters, chickens, octopus
Colors: light purple, white pearl
Gemstones: pearl, moonstone, Alexandrite
Flowers: Rose, rose petals
Herbs: dill, parsley, lavender, sage, aloe, bay, lemon balm
Strawberry Moon: time for picking berries, flowers blooming
Incense or oils: rose, sandalwood
Intentions: personal abundance, joyful union, relationships & love
I’m part of a few groups on Reddit for witches and one of the most common questions I see that is asked almost daily is, “Where do I start?” or “Do I have to believe in everything I read?” You get the drill.
I thought for this week’s blog post, I would take some time and answer more frequently asked questions and how I started my journey into witchcraft. If you’re not a witchy person, no problem. These methods can be used for almost any spiritual practice or even if you just want to adopt mindfulness techniques into your daily routine. I even wrote a blog post about that too!
Where do I start?
That’s a tough question. For me, my journey began nearly 20 years ago when watching shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I became really interested in Wicca and joined a local drumming group. In addition to that, I also picked up as many books on Wicca as I could get my hands on – including Scott Cunningham’s book simply titled Wicca.
When it came to learning about Green Witchery, I actually have YouTube to credit for that. I was searching for inspiration on decorating my balcony and stumbled upon cottage fairy channels, which led me to fairy cottages, and so on, and so forth. And now my feed is mostly cottage fairy and green witches or gardeners. It’s quite lovely.
Once I learned about intention setting and journaling, I was hooked. It’s something I do monthly now. I like using visioning boards for this and created this one with Canva.
Figure out your budget
Figure out your budget and how much you are able to invest in your practice. I’ll include free resources below as well. And do subscribe, because I have a post coming about free online resources for books.
If you are a student or single income earner, you probably don’t want to put yourself into debt. Try hitting up local libraries, garage sales, flea markets or wander out to your local Pagan or Witchy markets for deals. You can even find some supplies at vintage or dollar store type shops. Hobby money is also great for building your altar or sacred space.
Also, don’t go and spend hundreds of dollars off the bat. Take time and build your altar. I used the same Tarot deck for 20 years and finally bought new ones with a gift certificate.
A lot of supplies like dried herbs and spices, you can get from your local grocery store like salt, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and sage. Use flowers from local vendors and let them dry naturally.
Find things that resonate with you
There are a lot of types of spiritual practice out there and I know for me, I’ve studied a few over the years. These studies included Reiki, Shamanism, Wicca and lately, Green Witchery. I’m still learning when it comes to Green Witchery and every day is a new discovery about myself.
What I love to do is sit outside and be one with nature and natural energy around me. The other night, I sat out in the thunder storm (finally!) at 1:00 in the morning. I called upon my spirit guides and called to Thor and Odin (Thor is God of Thunder), and during my meditation – I felt a new surge of energy that is still flowing through me. I’ll write about this in a separate post and dive a bit more into my Norse Mythology connection.
Spend some time journaling and making a list of things you want to do, or that interest you the most.
Animals or wildlife (being around animals, totem animals)
Being out in nature (hiking, swimming, photography)
Building an altar (using things like candles, incense, crystals, gemstones)
Creating things (arts, crafts, music, journals, book of shadows)
Divination (scrying, tarot, crystals, etc)
Gardening (planting things, working with herbs, crafting)
Journey Work (meditating with intention)
Meditating – practicing daily mindfulness
Ritual working – what kind of rituals are you interested in?
Socializing – being with friends or in a community (covens)
Solo practice – best for highly introverted folks or those with anxiety
Writing – writing stories, books, letters, spells or poems
This list is not complete, but these are some things I incorporate into my practice. Gardening, nature, photography are all things I try and do often. And writing in this blog. I also spend A LOT of time on Youtube in the mornings watching other content creators for inspiration.
For me, my favorite thing to do is sit outside when it’s quieter at night time, breathe in the fresh air. Or listen to music with headphones and soak in the sun.
Using mythology from your ancestry
I am a mixed bag when it comes to ancestry and roots and have a mix of European blood from Irish, French to Danish. So, I feel strong ties to Celtic and Nordic folklore. The Indigenous peoples have their own ways of doing things so, depending on where you are in the world or where you were raised – try learning about how ancestors from your region practiced magic.
Shamanism for example, is practiced around the world, not just specific to Native Americans. Each region has their own beliefs and ways of doing things. Honestly, it was one of the most interesting things to study and I was blessed to work with local Indigenous Elders for five years professionally.
For me, I feel strong connections to my Nordic roots and Thor is still one of my favorite Greek Gods (and MCU series!)
Again, take what resonates with you. You don’t have to believe everything you learn – sometimes it’s fun to fantasize and write about Gods like Thor and Odin.
Don’t get too lost in studying, make sure to practice too!
I’m a hands on learner and have always learned faster by doing something new myself. Sitting in a three hour lecture is not going to keep my attention at all and I will fail miserably. But also, it’s important to at least learn the basics before diving into anything.
The more important things you should try and learn first are:
Incorporating magic or mindfulness into your daily life
Grounding yourself spiritually and physically
Meditating and learning to achieve ‘altered state’ for journey work
Protecting your space and your home from negative energies
Working with natural energy and learning to protect yours
Have patience
Most importantly, have patience with yourself. Spiritual practice, whether you are Christian, Buddhist, Pagan, Wiccan or Witch – is often a lifelong journey. You will find yourself questioning a lot of things over the years. Your tastes and interests will change as you change and grow with the craft you choose.
Same goes for learning. While there is a lot of good resources and materials out there to learn from, there is also a lot of misinformation and bad “actors”. Find people you connect with to learn from.
Never give up on yourself. Do things that bring you joy, and you can’t go wrong with that. We were all new at some point.
I have an old copy of the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft that I should get out and take some pictures of. I picked it up in an old used bookstore for occult practices. It was a great dive shop for treasures. It was written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, and covers just about every supernatural or occult topic from A-Z.
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It’s Friday and I realize that I messed up my usual blogging schedule this week, so I thought I’d take some time today and share some photos from my garden with you, and give a little mid-month update.
The smoke has returned to the city from the wildfires that surround us and it’s been hard to breathe. The air cleared up yesterday enough to get some outdoor time last night, but today, I need to keep the windows closed. My allergies are not impressed, and the migraines are strong.
Every morning, I start off my day by checking on my balcony flowers. Surprisingly, the Dahlias sprung back to life and watching them fully bloom just brings me such joy.
The petunias are struggling with the high winds and hot weather. It’s going to be another blazing hot weekend in the 30Cs, which is near 90F for you American readers. This is very unusual for this time of year. We’ve also had little rain and it’s been tough on wildlife too. I think maybe I overwatered the petunias and so I’m giving them a break today. Luckily, the pansies are still hanging on.
The weird dreams and nightmares have returned and so my mornings are fairly laid back and quiet. It’s started to play with my psyche, and so, I’m trying to pour my feelings into writing. Whether it’s here in this blog, or in my books.
Yesterday, I went back and updated most of the pages and fixed the old links. Note to self, don’t change URLs – it’s a major pain and I’ve had to just delete a lot of old blog posts. Sorry for the double notifications yesterday for my email subscribers.
One thing I’m trying to do is utilize my Canva premium each month and create pretty art designs. I really wish I could paint watercolor flowers like these. I’ve tried and just don’t have steady hands for it. There are some amazing artists out there. And Canva is not cheap. It’s by far, my most expensive paid subscription, surpassing even DisneyPlus.
My relationship is still going strong though it’s more like being really good friends that talk daily with some long distance fun, if you know what I mean. It’s been one of the healthiest and most stable relationships I’ve been in. There are no games. Communication is good. And while we don’t get a lot of time with each other, it fulfills an emotional need that I’m not ready for in person. And may not be ready for again.
The demolition of the parkade and parking lot is still ongoing. I think the worst of it is over and they’ve torn up all the concrete. Those first two weeks were brutal with vibrational movements. I’m hoping they finish early, so things can go back to normal. I have been utilizing a garbage pickup service as the bins are now so far away, and the guys that come by weekly are super nice.
I’m not doing a lot for witchy practices outside of the 8 Sabbats and full moon energy. I suppose writing every day counts and spending time with my garden centres every morning. I need to pick up some more crystals and candles. And maybe some small plants for the altar.
That’s pretty much life in a nutshell. I’m trying to get back to using my cycle and exercising. Plans for daily walks are off again as it’s very unsafe to walk around outside with the construction equipment, and with my knees, I can’t go far. Going to have to wait to explore trails until this smoke clears too and it’s safe to do so.
So… wishing you all a very happy Friday. Thank you to my new readers – I do vet followers and make sure their accounts are real. I remove any spammers or scammers as I’m not here for that. I want real engagement, from real people.
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A few years ago, I had to leave my career due to rising and complex health issues that were preventing me from attending work on a regular basis. Like many people, I was working a full-time job, volunteering part-time, and was part of many groups and social activities. The burnout towards the end was extreme and my health took a turn for the worse.
A diagnosis of hEDS would seal the deal and now I’m officially, “medically retired” which has left me with mixed feelings about my purpose in life. I was always told, “you’re too young to be in this much pain” and now…
Life has become about – quality now, not quantity. And learning to just well, slow the f**k down. The struggle of keeping myself busy during the day is for real, and I’m adopting some new habits and forming new routines, so I get the most out of those good days. On those bad days, I’m mostly just sleeping in bed and those pain flares can last for a week or two. It’s a very unpredictable medical condition.
Created with Canva @charmedreflections.com
It was only recently, like in the past few months as I got back into spiritual practice, that I learned about “slow life” living and it’s something that I think we can all learn from. Stress and anxiety can impact our health so much, that we take for granted all that life has to offer us. Thanks to channels like this.
This is how I start off my mornings, sipping my coffee, eating my toast and fruit and watching relaxing videos like this.I start off every day now outside, watering my flowers and deadpaning the ones that need some TLC. It’s a great way to start the morning.
Slow Life Origins
The slow living movement started in the 1980’s in Italy. It started with the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in the capital city of Rome. A man named Carlo Petrini banned together with a group of activists and they formed a movement that they coined, “Slow Food.” This movement was created to defend regional foods to keep long standing traditions alive in Italy.
The overall concept of slow living is where people openly choose to live a slower and more meaningful life. This isn’t always easy to do if you have a lot on your plate like two jobs, or a full-time career, or you are a single parent. Or parents of a large family. Or heck, even the single professional person can struggle with taking too much on. I speak from experience having done this for decades.
In the simplest of terms, slow living means making more time for yourself to “stop and smell the roses” or just practice selfcare more. Or spending more time in nature, with family, or doing things you really love.
While some people may consider this movement, more of a fad, for me, I’m trying to incorporate this into my daily routine. Some people consider slow living to be more of a concept or philosophy – they call it a reflective or mindful approach to everyday life.
If you’re of Scandinavian culture, you may be familiar with the concept of Hygge – in which people adopt more a cozy and comfort sort of aesthetic in their homes and slowing down to enjoy time with family and loved ones. Slow Living is similar in a sense, and I’ll cover what Hygge is in a separate post.
Slow living starts with softness, a desire to move more calmly.
Secret of Slow Life Living
There really is no secret to slowing down life a little bit. The key is to find things that bring you peace and joy, and do those things more often. It’s ensuring you get the proper amount of sleep at night to feel rested. It’s about finding “quiet” time to practice mindfulness, or working with intention setting. It’s about living a life of intention and making those little moments for yourself really count. It’s about self-reflection, journaling or even just spending time out in nature.
Some ways you can slow your life down:
Connection: build on current relationships with friends and loved ones that bring joy into your life. Find time to connect with Mother Nature. Sit out at night and stare up at the moon. Or spend time in your garden. Or tend to flowers and indoor plants. Connect with your natural surroundings and elements. This can help ground your energy as well.
Intentions: start incorporating and working with intentions in your daily life, planning for downtime or time to focus on you.
Slow down: if your schedule is too packed, perhaps learn to let something go that isn’t necessary for you to be involved in. Or if you can, delegate the task to someone else. Plan for at least one day a week (or even per month) where you can do something for just yourself.
Take a pause: take the time to enjoy those precious moments you have to yourself. Meditate or just practice deep breathing exercises and reflect on your day so far. Take your coffee outside and sit in the sun for your morning break. Or go for a walk for some fresh air.
Well-being: practice the art of selfcare and make sure you are getting some time in nature, regular exercise, sleep — sleep is crucial for your overall mental health.
First of all, I’d suggest taking some time to journal and think about what it is that brings you peace. Is it going for a walk? Maybe it’s a certain spot out in nature. Or maybe it’s someone in your life that calms you down. Or maybe it’s as simple as sitting outside with a good book. Whatever it is, jot down ideas and make that effort into bringing mindfulness into your daily routines.
Or maybe your idea of a perfect day is sitting down with friends while working on arts and crafts. Like Indoora World does on her channel and I find it so inspiring.
Resources
Sometimes my YouTube suggestions feed gets it right, and I’m amazed by the creativeness out there from fellow artists and partisans. These are some of my favorite channels to help set your morning off on the right vibe. To learn more about slow life and mindfulness practices, please follow my blog. I post weekly.
On May 1st, fellow Pagans, witches and wiccans celebrated Beltane which marks the halfway point between Spring Equinox and Summer Equinox. Here, in Canada, spring is in full bloom and the trees and flowers have really started budding. The dry and brown grass is starting to turn lush green, and the birds outside my window, sing songs that wake me up early in the morning.
This has been a busy spiritual week and I’ve already shared how I celebrated Beltane which, for me, stretched over a period of three days. And now, it’s already May 05, and the full moon has arrived, which means it is time to honor the moon in all its glory, and spend some time with the moon tonight.
I’ve already completed my work for this month’s full moon and was able to capture this beauty last night from my balcony.
Flower Moon origins
That big glowing ball that lights up our night sky, has a different name for each month when the it is at its fullest. This full moon is called Flower Moon, which is a name that was given by our Native American ancestors who observed flowers in abundance. Other names include Budding Moon, Egg Laying Moon and Planting Moon.
Just like last month’s Pink Moon, the Flower Moon represents creation, abundance and growth. Growing things like flowers and plants from seedlings and nurturing them as they mature.
Dahlias PetuniasViolaPansies
Spiritual significance
In a spiritual sense, the Flower Moon is a time to focus on things that bring you joy and to celebrate what life has to offer. Go for a walk in nature and take a moment or two to literally, smell the flowers.
If you have a garden, spend time cleaning it up and preparing it for the growing season. Or if you have a balcony, sweep it with a broom, and get it organized for the plants or flowers you wish to have. While flowers and plants means some work – they really can bring “life” into your home. And for me, someone on disability, this is something to wake up to and do every day.
There are some areas in your life that you will need to pay attention to and take special care of. Where I live, we are in the midst of political elections and are surrounded by wildfires, so there is tension in the air. It’s important to take time for yourself, to ground yourself and protect your own energy. You can do this through mindfulness techniques such as meditation or yoga or just spending time with your garden and pets.
If you notice a surge of energy today, you are not alone. The full moon is powerful and now is the time to perform rituals of letting go, healing and welcoming abundance into your life.
Mother Nature can heal you in so many ways. My goal is to spend as much time as humanly possible outside on my balcony, going for walks, and even spending time with friends and family on the weekends.
Go out. Enjoy life and what it has to offer. And stop and smell the roses every now and then.
Magical Correspondences
Colors: red, orange, yellow representing the warmth and light emitting from the sun, allowing for growth and representing life.
Elements: fire (Beltane – Fire Festival), air and earth
Gemstones: ruby, garnet, and amber for fertility and celebrating the body of a woman.
Herbs: mint and fiery or spicy like chili flakes, or cinnamon
Pixabay Photo
Ritual suggestions
As a solo witch, I don’t really do anything elaborate for the full moon rituals. Mostly, I spend some time outside during the day with my flowers and plants. I lather myself up in suntan lotion and spend at least 30 minutes in the sun – otherwise I burn to a crisp.
At night, I will spend some time outside, usually for about an hour, or more if I’m reading – and I will stare up at the sky while listening to Celtic or meditative music and just try and clear my brain. The anxiety makes it challenging but it helps for overall well-being.
Writing in this blog monthly, is also part of my intention working and gives me something to do.
Altar Ideas – Pixabay
Solo practice ideas
Outdoors: Bring the candle with you outside and sit under the moon for a while. Just stare up at the sky and get lost in all the craters, dents and wonderful things to look at. Get your camera charged up and take some close up pictures. Take your journal with you and write down how you feel, what issues you are currently facing, and some ideas that may help you through the challenges.
Indoors: light a candle (if safe to do to so), journal entries, meditation, tarot readings, other forms of divination or have a full ritual bath with herbs, teas, oils, candles, etc.
Note: with the increase in wildfire activity, please do not light fires or leave candles unattended. Fires can spark easily in this dry heat. Please use caution and make sure the flames are properly extinguished. If you cannot use open flames – then consider LED candles.
Sorry, but I’m not feeling up to creating artwork today or printables. I’ll provide one next month. Thanks for understanding. For more information on moonology, please refer to the links below.
This weekend came and went by super fast and it’s late Sunday night, or early Monday morning depending on where you are in the world. Which means, Beltane is officially here. Plans changed this weekend last minute, and I wound up celebrating a little early and a lot differently than I had originally planned.
If you’d like to know what Beltane is and learn about the 8 Sabbats in more depth, please visit my page called Spiritual Practices. In short, Beltane marks the halfway point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice (post coming soon). It is a time for creation, fertility, and prosperity.
Beltane Activities
Unfortunately, the weather has been really dry and warm for this time of year, which means that it’s perfect conditions for wildfires. As I was writing this, a notification came in for immediate evacuation of a town about 40 minutes away – so – things are getting a little hairy out there. That means, that the Beltane “Fire Festivals” will likely be canceled as there will be fire bans – that’s the breaks living out here in the prairies. We don’t get nearly as much rain as we used to in April.
On Saturday, a good friend called me up and invited me out for lunch. She also let me know there was a flower sale at Home Depot. So, I was eager to get out after having been home for a couple of weeks. We had a great lunch date, and hit the garden centre.
I came away with just a few additions for my balcony, though if I had the space – I could easily have purchased a lot more. But that wind today – I’m worried the flowers may not last long this summer if this heat and wind keeps up.
After shopping, we went back to her place and sat in the backyard and enjoyed the warmth of the sun, drank some rum, and just chatted. It was really nice and I hope to do it again soon. But next time – I’ll wear summer clothes. It got hot in black! This time of year, it’s hard to know what to wear. I also seem to tire out easily after a few hours so, I need to get back into daily exercises and walks.
The moment I got home – I watered the flowers and set up my balcony and spent some time out that evening reading. It wasn’t the way I originally planned on celebrating Beltane – but honestly? It was way better. I may have even had another rum or two before bed.
Green Witching
This morning when I woke up (Sunday), I decided to spend some time with my plants. I find this is a great start to the day as I wait for my morning coffee. The ferns unfortunately were looking wilted and starting to turn brown. So, later in the afternoon, I got out my old humidifier and cleaned it out. Cranked it up for a few hours and the ferns perked right up.
This is kind of a nuisance. Ferns are supposed to be low maintenance plans. But. I think my condo is too dry and the nights are too chilly outside for ferns right now. Another month and I can put them on the balcony. So, for the next few weeks, I’ll just have to keep misting them, watering occasionally, and use the humidifier. It’s also good for my sinuses too, supposedly.
The calathea on the bottom right was wilted a bit this morning. I moved the pot into the kitchen window sill and by night time, it had perked right up again. Some of the leaves are turning brown. So I may just have to shift plants around to make sure they get the right amount of sun. It’s a bit of a trial and error kind of thing.
Having plants around really brightens things up, and it gives me something to start my day on a positive note.
But look at all that green!
Beltane Crafts
For rituals, I really didn’t have anything planned. But as I looked at the pile of dried tulip leaves – I thought, why not make some potpourri and do a Tarot reading.
I had watched a few videos on YouTube on how to make potpourri with flowers, but I’m missing a few key ingredients like cinnamon sticks, peels and pinecones. Though really, you can use just about anything. The one thing I do need to find is orris root powder…this is proving to be challenging. It isn’t cheap and I have already overextended my monthly budget.
So, my bottle ot potpourri is a work in progress and I will share pictures as the work continues. I like changing up my green space every few days. Gives the plants a new lighting situation and well, it just looks pretty.
Beltane Readings
Next, it was time to perform a meditative ritual and pull some Tarot cards. I haven’t done this in a while and when I closed the office door, I felt this intense heat and energy already with me. That feeling gives me incentive and the desire to meditate more often. It’s also pretty great for anxiety and moods overall.
Before the ritual, I spent some time out in the balcony. The wind was insane today, but I got a bit of sun and my arms are getting some color. I spent a lot of time outside this weekend and it really felt good.
For reading details, click on the images below using the arrow buttons. The overall message was to work on spiritual practices, healing, ask for support when needed, and letting go of trauma. All messages I needed to hear.
The Wombat card tells us that we should be our authentic selves so that others can love our “true” selves. It was a message that hit close to home.
I also wrote on 3 Bay leaves, health, home and heart, and asked my spirit guides to bless my home, heal my heart, and help me to focus on health – for the better. I used the parchment paper and taped it to the glass bottle for the potpourri. If interested, I’ll share the recipe in a separate post. I crumpled up the bay leaves into pieces and placed them in the bowl as well. Then I just closed my eyes, while mixing the other ingredients together.
And lastly, I asked the spirit guides to help boost my creativity for writing and ideas for books. Writing really is my passion, and I need to do more of it.
Then I thanked the elements and spirit guides for their support, blew out the candles and cleaned up the altar. It’s always good to “close” your space before cleaning things up.
This is my working altar – I really need to get a cloth to hide the scratch marks. The desk belonged to my mother, and her father before I took it home.I wanted to show the names of the herbs so I could note the ingredients for later. I also use sweet orange oil.
In Summary
And that was pretty much it for Beltane celebrations for 2023. Tomorrow is Monday (today, it’s like 1:30 am), and it’s going to be a mundane day of regular household chores and grocery shopping. And possibly a visit with my father.
But all in all – the weekend was fairly relaxing and I’m pleased with the work I did. Even if my body can’t keep up with all the plans I make in my head, at least I accomplished something I can be proud of.
Let’s Connect!
Are you a fellow witchy or spiritual person? If so, how do you celebrate Beltane? Do you celebrate the Sabbats? Please let me know in the comments!
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In just a few days, it will be May and almost the halfway point for the year 2023. Time really moves quickly, even though from day to day, it doesn’t seem like it. But wow. I feel like I haven’t gotten very much accomplished that I had planned on.
With Beltane coming up on the first of May, or April 30 for May’s Eve, I really haven’t given much thought into my monthly intentions. I had a few really productive days last week where I got lots done on my condo, but there is still so much I want to get done before the end of summer. Unfortunately, between the migraines, pain and my stomach – my energy levels often fall flat before I can accomplish what I want to do.
I’ve already shared a post on what Beltane is, but as a reminder – May 1st marks the halfway point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. This means the days will be even longer and weather in most places in the Northern Hemisphere will get warmer.
For many people in my local area, this is the time where people start preparing their gardens for planting and many have already planted things like herbs, tomatoes and other lush green vegetables. This is also typically our rainy season and so we’ve had a few days of rain which has been really welcome and needed to get rid of the snow mold and dust.
Instead of giving a monthly recap, you can scroll down to the bottom of this list and see what I’ve done for this year so far. Hard to believe it’s been almost five months since I rebranded this blog and I’m loving the engagement here – even if it’s not as much as it used to be.
Spiritual Significance of May
May is a popular time for weddings and it is considered the month of mothers and brides. It is also a busy month as high school students prepare for graduation ceremonies and plans to enter “adulthood”. For other people, May is the time when people start thinking about summer vacations, or gardening, or home improvement projects with the warmer weather and longer days.
In a spiritual sense, May is the time to work on positive energy and prosperity. Bringing joy into your life and harmonizing relationships with those you are close to. You might notice that you have more energy this time of year, and want to get working on projects that have been building up over winter. Or you may experience “spring fever” and want to get out and reconnect with loved ones or your social groups.
It’s a time to get “Involved” in life instead of watching it from the sidelines. To get outdoors and really just enjoy what life and nature has to offer you.
With Beltane right around the corner, this is also the time to focus on family and fertility if you are trying to conceive. Or even if you are single and want to have fun – go play and be frisky. But please be careful 🙂
Color Associations
When it comes to color associations and the month of May, think of it like this. Red is for passion and the power of the sun. Green is for creativity, growth and fertility. Yellow is for wisdom and happiness. And pink represents divine feminine and love. These are all things you could focus on for the month even just starting the day off with some meditations or intention settings as you sip your coffee or tea.
Note: I am a solo practitioner that doesn’t worship deities, so this is just a guideline and things I do for myself.
My Monthly Intentions for May
Last week, I got started on my decluttering project and got most of the recycling picked up. I have a few more things I’d like to get done for this month, as time and energy allows for it. I’ve given up on exercise for the time being, but am focusing on getting outside 2 or 3 times per day and going for walks when I can.
Cook at least 1x meal per week and use all food in the fridge
Finish organizing the laundry room and office/music room
Get back into daily intentions with my morning coffee & tarot cards, think of things I am grateful for and would like to improve on (for positivity)
Go for walks at least 2 or 3x times per week
Read for at least 1x hour daily
Reach out to friends by text at least 1x each week
Sit outside daily for 1 to 2 hours, or 3x times per day
Work on arts and craft projects at least 1x a week
Work on 1x song per month for Spotify
Write daily even if just a journal entry and come up with new book ideas
This list is pretty hefty, so if I do at least 3 or 4 of these items, I’ll be happy with that. It’s something to keep me motivated and going from day to day.
Do you work with monthly intentions? If so, let me know what your plans are for the month of May in the comments. Try creating a visioning board to help keep you on track.
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Important Dates to Remember
May 1st – Beltane, May Day, Fire Festivals (Pagan Sabbat)
It’s hard to believe that we’re at the end of April already and in just 7 days, it will be time to celebrate Beltane. Or more commonly called depending on where you are in the world, May Day.
Beltane Origins
Beltane is one of the eight Sabbats that are honored by Pagans and Witches – predominantly in North America and Europe and dates back at least 1,000 years. The word Beltane is a Celtic word deriving from northern Europe and means “the fires of Bel.” Ancient Celts would light two bonfires as a way to purify themselves and to help increases the odds of fertility.
Pagans also celebrated Beltane as a way to indicate the halfway mark between Spring Equinox (Ostara) and the upcoming Summer Solstice which is celebrated on June 20-21. Beltane is also referred to as the Fire Festival or in May Day.
It is a time to celebrate light and fertility and put the darkness of winter behind us, focusing on creation and “birthing” of new ideas, projects or relationships.
May Pole Dancing / May Day
In some parts of the worlds, Pagans (and witches too) will celebrate by dressing up in pretty white or frilly dresses for the girls/women, and dance around a tall pole that is decorated by colorful ribbons.
Photo credit: Brittany Jepsen on Pinterest
Floral Decorations
Many of the dancers wear flower or garland wreaths that they made by using supplies from their own gardens. The May pole dance is considered to be a fertility ritual. Some dancers may choose to wear flowers that are braided or woven into their hair as well. Other ways to “give back” include making a “May Basket” and filling them with flowers and goodwill (food, non-perishable items), and then give the baskets to a friend or neighbor in need of of support.
It is customary to eat foods that are in season for Beltane or May Day such as fruits and vegetables that are grown locally. A great way to give back to the Earth, is to support your local farmers and buy fresh produce at a local farmer’s market. Other people, especially those from Indigenous backgrounds, will often prepare bannock bread with berry jam made from scratch. Or you could bake scones or fritters.
For meat eaters, goat, beef or chicken are typically consumed at Beltane Feasts. For drinks, you may want to consider grape wine, mead or homemade ale. Anything made from fruit is a good option.
Here’s another list of options you could prepare for your guests if you are hosting a dinner with friends. I was just outside and the sun is shining so bright and warm – I’m hoping and praying for good weather next week.
Beltane Activities
The following are some suggestions you can do in a group setting, or alone. Try looking for groups or activities in your area on Facebook or Meetup.com if you are new to the practice or don’t have anyone to celebrate with. As a solo practitioner, I will be partaking in activities I can do alone from home.
Craft a May Pole out of homemade items such as popsicle sticks and giftwrap ribbons using an array of colors (typically pastels or bold colors).
Make a crown or wreath out of supplies from your garden to wear on your head.
Prepare a basket of goodies including wine, food, pastries or fruit and give to someone in need of support. Make a casserole and bring to a friend who is ill.
Gather with friends and light a bonfire, enjoy some wine, fruits and vegetables and dance or sing songs around the fire.
Prepare an offering for Mother Earth of flowers, herbs, or other biodegradable items that you can leave somewhere in nature – WITHOUT disturbing the natural habitat.
Fertility rituals – if you’re in a relationship and trying to conceive, now is the time to get busy in the bedroom!
Go on a nature walk alone or with family, take in the amazing scenery, relish in the fresh spring air and say hello to woodland creatures you might stumble across.
Grab a bunch of friends and head out to a local park, roast some hotdogs or hamburgers on the open flames, enjoy a cold ale, sit outside until the night sky comes in and admire the moon and stars
Solo practitioners like me that live in the city, might not have access to a bon fire or nature trails. Or may not be able to walk or drive to these places for health reasons. If you’re like me and you live alone, it is perfectly fine to make do with what you have available to you. Make a healthy meal, light a candle if you are allowed to, recite a blessing, or go for a walk or sit outside on your balcony.
Honouring the Sabbats doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money or create an elaborate event – find the things that you enjoy doing and resources you have available in your environment. You can make new traditions with your family or friends, or just celebrate on your own.
Are you a witchy type of person? Or are you of Pagan origins? If so, do you celebrate the Sabbat holidays? If so, let me know what your plans are in the comments. Always looking to connect with fellow practitioners.
If you’d like to learn more about my spiritual journey, please head over to my spiritual practice page.
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I started writing this post earlier last week and it slipped my mind with untimely accident on the weekend. Earth Day is coming up fast – and hopefully, I’ve posted this in time for you to plan some outdoor activities this weekend! No matter where you are in the world, this is something everyone can take part in. No matter how big or small of an effort you put in. And best of all – most of the options will be free!
Earth Day Origins
In the spring of 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created what we know as Earth Day in an attempt to raise awareness of the need to protect the earth (or in spiritual circles known as Gaia). Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 of every year and it is a day to honor, as I call her – Mother Earth.
Senator Nelson hired a young activist by the name of Denis Hayes to the National Coordinator for the first Earth Day celebrations held on April 22, 1970. In Canada, Earth Day has become one of the largest environmental movements and is celebrated across the country.
The original goal for Earth Day was to help promote the environmental grassroots movements and to also increase awareness of ecological concerns around the globe. In simplest forms, it is to help protect the environment – our environment – Earth.
This movement was inspired by the anti-Vietnam War learnable events that were happening across the United States in 1969. Since its creation in 1970, the movement has helped to pass environmental laws across North America including clean air, water, and protection of endangered species.
For today’s blog post, I thought I would share some activities you could do on your own, or with your family to honor Mother Earth, Gaia, or as most know it as – Earth. I like to think as Earth as a living and breathing entity in its/her own right.
The Native Americans and Indigenous populations of Native America, call her Mother Earth and the sun, is Grandfather Sun.
My Earth Day Activities
My Earth Day Activities
The balcony is my main focus this spring and summer, as well as spot cleaning and decluttering my home. I have to so much “stuff” that I never use and is collecting dust – that I think I just need to donate some crafting supplies and clothes to those who will use them. Then I can move some of the stuff in the laundry room too. That room is an eyesore at the moment.
This weekend, of course the weather has turned cold and my plants are arriving today. In an effort to get outside EVERY day, I was out earlier dumping out old planter pots and making a mess of my area rug that I just cleaned. Oy. But I got the planters cleaned out and filled in with new dirt. I’m anxiously now awaiting for the arrival of said plants. So, for today, and tomorrow – that’s what I will be doing.
There is a witchy flea market this weekend, so perhaps I will venture out on Saturday afternoon. I have someone picking up my recycling on Saturday so that is taken care. Recycling and “reuse” is part of Earth Day celebrations and could be something you do at home.
After emptying the pots, I spent a little time just sitting outside. It’s definitely fleece sweater weather and I’ll have to bundle up for later. But I hope to get most of the plants into pots.
My partner helped me realize I have a plant problem. 31 plants! That’s his counting. I counted only 8, with 2 packs of pansies and 2 sets of moss. I may have to stop off at the Dollar Store tomorrow to pick up some smaller pots. And I’d like to get some cheap figurines and statues too.
My kitchen altar
It’s going to be a pretty tame weekend as my foot is still sore and I can’t wear proper shoes. So, I think it will be filled with crafting, reading some books on the Kindle – or paper. Spending as little time OFF the computer as possible and off the phone. Using candles at night instead of lights. And perhaps a ritual bath as I usually do on Friday nights. I wound up spending almost 3 hours outside today and I’m feeling it. My body is not what it used to be, and physical movement like planting, leaves me in so much pain! I definitely overdid it.
But, without further ado, here is my list of activities for families to enjoy.
Suggestions for activities
Eat organic or fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, etc
Go for a walk outside or have a picnic at a local park
Go for a hike and explore local nature trails, take your camera and capture images of the birds or wildlife you see
Go to a local spot that needs cleanup and start cleaning up trash – make sure to use safety precautions and PPD
Get creative and write a song, paint a picture or make crafts with recycled items
Declutter or clean your home, balcony or garage and recycle old items you no longer need. Or repurpose for other uses.
Spend some time in the garden pulling weeds, working on the lawn, or planting seeds and flowers
Spend some time outside meditating and connecting with nature. Pick a quiet spot in nature, or your balcony. Listen to the birds, keep an eye out for other wildlife, or go and read a book outside.
Try to go a day without waste (difficult to do in this age)
Use candles instead of lighting at night, turn off devices to save energy, live life for a night like it’s “olden” days before we had power
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