Welcome 2008. May this be the year that peace guides the planet. My life has always been a bit weird and wonky, but I have to say that the past five years have been particularly interesting. During one especially trying time when I was just trying to survive the next hour I happened upon a Music CD that helped me to do that. The CD is Jai Uttal's Loveland. Jai's format for this cd is Kirtan. Kirtan is Hindu call and response chanting. I was introduced to this form of Bakti a few years back. I find it to be an intense form of chanting. Practicing Kirtan has brought my heart to a place of devotion and has supported and enhanced my other meditation practices. For Kirtan in the Pioneer Valley I recommend Dave Russell who offers loving Kirtan every Sunday at Yoga Sanctuary in Northampton Massachusetts. The Kirtan starts at 7:30.
Every year for the past 10 or so I pick a theme to guide my actions throughout the year. For 2007 this was Gratitude. I posted notes around my house and on my date book that said - GRATITUDE - remember to say Thank You. I have found that doing this really gets the idea across, and eventually the behaviour becomes a habit. This habit then becomes a trait. And so the alchemy of my personality gets transformed. For 2008 I have decided to place PEACE as my theme. I will mediate on peace, ask how my actions promote the idea of Peace, and walk the path of peace.
The following poem is from the Loveland CD and I am honored to share it with you.
Peace to the inner and outer environments
Peace to the five elements within and without
Peace to this body
Peace to this mind
Peace to this huge ocean of emotion and feelings
By the power of the truth
And for the happiness of all beings
May we have a culture of Peace
A society of Peace
A world of Peace
Where we can have days of Peace
Nights of Peace
Sleep with Peace
Dreams of Peace
By the power of the truth and for the healing of all beings
May we have Peace in all moments and in everything.
Excerpted from
Jai Uttal - Loveland
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Yule Blessings
What a wonder winter can be here in the Northeast. The temperature has been down to zero on some days. I am heating my house with wood with oil as a backup system. For Yule I have cut a tree down from my backyard and decorated it with small lights and many years worth of ornaments. My favorite this year is a small pale pink doe that is stretching her neck up so that her head points straight up. She has roses painted on her side and is very sweet looking. This holiday season I have been working at the Fiber Arts Center in Amherst Massachusetts. What an incredible place! Every day I am there I stand in awe of the artists who the Gallery and shop represent. There is so much creativity here in the Pioneer Valley. The staff and customers are some of the sweetest folks you will ever meet. As I dance among the snow and ice here in the wonder-full north I send you all blessings and tidings of joy. May peace guide you and love find you!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Ebay Store up and Running!
Well here it is my - eBay store. You can click on this link and it will bring you to all the wonderful items that I am making to sell to all Faerie, Druids, Witchy and Wizardly folks!http://stores.ebay.com/Harvest-And-Home-Natural-Fiber-Garb
The wool cloche hats you can view on the right of this page are just a sampling of the items you'll be finding in my new store. Hope you enjoy what you find. And keep checking in, I'll be adding new items regularly.
The wool cloche hats you can view on the right of this page are just a sampling of the items you'll be finding in my new store. Hope you enjoy what you find. And keep checking in, I'll be adding new items regularly.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Harvest and Home
The name of my business came from the concept of the holiday called Harvest Home. FOr a great explanation of this seasonal event click on the following link http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/7280/harvest.html.
The focus of Harvest and Home is to bring to you made things and found things that will warm your hearth in Winter and ease your Summer days. COMING SOON - my ebay store - Harvest and Home Natural Fiber Garb.
The focus of Harvest and Home is to bring to you made things and found things that will warm your hearth in Winter and ease your Summer days. COMING SOON - my ebay store - Harvest and Home Natural Fiber Garb.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
First Fire
During the fall when the weather begins to cool I practice a small ritual to honor the trees that will provide heat for the fire to warm me during the months ahead. It is a flexible date because I wait until the days are consistently cool before I start my wood stoves to burning. During the year I gather any small branches that may be presented to me, a fallen apple branch, a twig of oak, a flower that has blown onto the path. These treasures are kept in a basket or bowl on top of the kitchen wood stove and are used for the first fire ritual.
When starting this stove for the first time I tie with twine a bundle of each type of wood that I will use to heat. This year it is apple, black walnut, oak, hawthorn, and birch. This bundle is used as the kindling for the first fire. Once the fire is going I offer the treasures one by one and recite "By oak ash and thorn I honor these who will warm my hearth with a blessing of the trees" I then recall the year, and whatever comes up I give to the flames so that the year will pass and allow new experiences to flourish. I will also add a blessing to the Beavers who left many downed trees before they left the pond and eased my workload of felling trees for wood. Praise to the engineers of the wood and wallow!!
This rite is followed by a meal of seasonal foods - Squash with Rice, raisins and apples, Pumpkin ice cream on Gingerbread, and of course Apple Cider.
Now the preparations for Yule begin.
When starting this stove for the first time I tie with twine a bundle of each type of wood that I will use to heat. This year it is apple, black walnut, oak, hawthorn, and birch. This bundle is used as the kindling for the first fire. Once the fire is going I offer the treasures one by one and recite "By oak ash and thorn I honor these who will warm my hearth with a blessing of the trees" I then recall the year, and whatever comes up I give to the flames so that the year will pass and allow new experiences to flourish. I will also add a blessing to the Beavers who left many downed trees before they left the pond and eased my workload of felling trees for wood. Praise to the engineers of the wood and wallow!!
This rite is followed by a meal of seasonal foods - Squash with Rice, raisins and apples, Pumpkin ice cream on Gingerbread, and of course Apple Cider.
Now the preparations for Yule begin.
A Year and A Day
Welcome to you all!
I will be posting my experiences here as I journey through the first year of my AODA (Ancient Order of Druids in America) candidacy. This past week Oakstone Grove visdited my farm for the first time. We met at the Henge at U of Mass in Amherst, fulfilled a sweet Samhainn ritual and then gathered at the farm for a feast of shared foods. There was much to discuss as we are in the process of creating the structure of a Study Group. I am so blessed to be among such folk as these.
I have been reading for about 25 years about Celtic and Earth Based Spritualities. It seems I have been doing druidic things even before I decided to formalize my path by becoming a member of AODA. When I moved to this farm it became very apparent to me that a grove should be planted. I selected six Washington Hawthorns and two European Mountain Ash. The two Mountain Ash were planted at the beginning of the path to the outer grove or nemeton, and they are called the Guardians. One of the Hawthorns is planted just beyond the Ash and and it is called the Gatekeeper. The other five Hawthorns (one for each of the elements - earth, air, fire, water and spirit) were planted in a circle. However the Hawthorns had other ideas. Two of the trees danced away on their own and instead of a circle there is a crescent of three and two have been found together pointing the way to the inner grove. I have created a fairly complete Ogham garden and even before I had discovered that the Ogham had existed.
I believe in something I call memeory of blood. That which was experienced in the before, (past life experiences) and may sometimes come from genetic memory which is passed down through the blood. It is this memory of blood that I believe has guided my hand and heart in creating these gardens and these groves.
Hawthorns provide healing for the heart, are a symbol of hope and happiness, are associated with Brigid, and are part of the magickal triad named as Oak, Ash and Thorn.
Harvest and Home is the name of my business. Through Harvest and Home I will share with you my recipes, crafts and ideas which are my celebrations of the cycle of the seasons.
I will be posting my experiences here as I journey through the first year of my AODA (Ancient Order of Druids in America) candidacy. This past week Oakstone Grove visdited my farm for the first time. We met at the Henge at U of Mass in Amherst, fulfilled a sweet Samhainn ritual and then gathered at the farm for a feast of shared foods. There was much to discuss as we are in the process of creating the structure of a Study Group. I am so blessed to be among such folk as these.
I have been reading for about 25 years about Celtic and Earth Based Spritualities. It seems I have been doing druidic things even before I decided to formalize my path by becoming a member of AODA. When I moved to this farm it became very apparent to me that a grove should be planted. I selected six Washington Hawthorns and two European Mountain Ash. The two Mountain Ash were planted at the beginning of the path to the outer grove or nemeton, and they are called the Guardians. One of the Hawthorns is planted just beyond the Ash and and it is called the Gatekeeper. The other five Hawthorns (one for each of the elements - earth, air, fire, water and spirit) were planted in a circle. However the Hawthorns had other ideas. Two of the trees danced away on their own and instead of a circle there is a crescent of three and two have been found together pointing the way to the inner grove. I have created a fairly complete Ogham garden and even before I had discovered that the Ogham had existed.
I believe in something I call memeory of blood. That which was experienced in the before, (past life experiences) and may sometimes come from genetic memory which is passed down through the blood. It is this memory of blood that I believe has guided my hand and heart in creating these gardens and these groves.
Hawthorns provide healing for the heart, are a symbol of hope and happiness, are associated with Brigid, and are part of the magickal triad named as Oak, Ash and Thorn.
Harvest and Home is the name of my business. Through Harvest and Home I will share with you my recipes, crafts and ideas which are my celebrations of the cycle of the seasons.
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