So I'm just sitting here having a few quiet moments with my alter.

The lights are dim, the incense is going and I've got a candle lit.

I'm really focusing on what this time of year brings about in me - that is to say a lot of reflection...

I look at this part of the year coming up to Samhain as the start of the new year it's where I mark my year of study /end of practice.

I was initiated  so to speak at Samhain in 2005 ( or was it 2006) and each time this year comes around I feel really energized magically, I feel "really into it" in a different way than in the summer I feel very very connected to my spirituality in the summer but this is it's a different flavour of connectivity... I like it.
Even though, I I look at this time of year as it's coming up close on the time when my mother passed away and that can be a rough period of the year... I still love it.


 Wildebeorn

I've finished the 3rd book in my dedicant period for the IDGAF tradition !

A quick video covering my thoughts about the book (Essential Asatru by Diana Paxson)

Oh, and I noticed after I finished filming that I had an audience...

A small sacred space I keep on my computer desk at home.

We’ve got a large chunk of hematite I picked up for pretty cheap in Mahone Bay, a ceramic cow skull hand painted by me at the clay cafe, a tiny dragon guarding over everything… few stones that felt right, and a film container with ashes from a ritual we performed back in the summer.

Firstly...
I just want to apologize and say I am truly THE worst slacker as of late and have totally neglected the blog.

I have still been pulling my tarot cards and participating in a lot of idgaf & other stuff - just not updating the blog.


I FINISHED MY FIRST BOOK! *confetti*

I was going to put up a review video of it... but i have been dealing with a lot of personal and health related issues for the last few weeks (which I am not going to get into here).

And I have started on my 2nd book - "A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk"
Super excited to read this one, I am clicking instantly with it a lot more than many books I've read in the past while.
 I know I know, I really need to pick up the pace on my reading to get these 6 books under my belt in time.

So, yeah.

Go me... also, BAD me.


PWW

So happy Beltane!
We did a wonderful little ritual that tiny Valkyrie put on out at my father's place in Cole Harbour

And the main focus of the ritual was to light a fire symbolic of the  Hearth fire and we transferred the fire / energy / spirit of that fire to the candles in these lanterns we brought with us.

The energy of the Hearth will be carried forward through the next year. At the end of the ritual we extinguished the ritual fire which was what you traditionally would do with your Hearth fire at Beltane to signify the end of one year and the start of the new year and things to come

I've also set up my new alter to really focus my energy around Beltane, I already posted a picture of it but here it is again:

 ...and also a few pictures of the ritual that we did out there last night

yay fire!

Mmm, kyphi burning in the fire smelled so goooood.

our lanterns & Rhi's hearth candle lit with flame from the bonfire.

. It was a really nice ritual -I really really enjoyed it was an awesome first ritual, I know that it can be very nerve-racking I was personally nervous as hell to do my first ritual so we go Valkrie! it was awesome

PWW

Just a quick as a bunny update with a look at my new Beltaine altar setup before I head off to work.

Yes... that is a penis made of stones... BELTAINE!

PWW

So I'm just going to be doing another one of my daily tarot card pullings - part of my daily practice I've been doing for my IDGAF initiation, this is being done on Monday April 28 and it's for Tuesday   I've shuffled my Robin-wood deck which is the one I'm a lot more familiar and comfortable with it just feels good to be to deal with, nice and familiar.

Okay so the 6 cups.

 Let's look this okay so keyword still really look at on this one is innocence & nostalgia, childhood & your inner child. Things to think of are of goodwill to all have started feeling sentimental memories If you look at the card itself two children are blissfully involved in the giving and receiving of a couple of flowers

The card indicates that your inner child is no working needs expression perhaps it's time to look back at the childhood memories to remember how it was to play without fears. As an adult instead of innocence of course you have many different feelings and they are all bundled up together.

We'll see how this relates to tomorrow!

PWW

(Apologies for this post, it was dictated via my iPhone so I had to rebuild the wording afterword)

This post is all about reading, and how I enjoy it and find it difficult at the same time.
link below will take you to the goodreads page for what I am currently reading.

* a quick note - this was originally intended to be a written post, but due to technical issues i ended up with another video entry instead.

Sacred Paths for Modern Men: A Wake Up Call from Your 12 Archetypes

Hey lookie lookie I made a video about re-doing my altar for the coming Sabbat Ostara!

I actually posted it the other day but neglected to throw it up here as well.




It's the first of what will be a series of videos I'll post both to my youtube channel and here to give some cohesion to my rantings online.

Cheers!

PWW

I'm working on a video post to go up here in the next couple of days, however frustrating non pagan stuff keeps derailing the filming of it.

I can say that it is part of the IDGAF work I am starting.

In the meantime, here is a warm fire to cozy up to.

PWW

So you may have noticed a sharp and sudden halt to the blog posts here, I'm going to be remedying that here in keeping with postings over at a new project I'm collaborating on at http://www.idgaf.ca

It's scary and exciting all rolled into one!

More to come soon!


I promise!
PWW

A post in bullet points as thats what my brain can produce right now.

I'm incredibly looking forward to samhain (as I do every year) because it is the time of year I feel most connected to my spirituality, my gods etc.

Its the point of the year I first dedicated myself to Hermes & Aphrodite waayy back in 2005 (I know so long ago!)

I am also dreading this sabbat - as it is the time of the year to remember loved ones who have passed on; it is the first samhain since mom passed last year. I anticipate breaking down at some point. But maybe that will be good? Cleansing?

I don't know.

I can't write anymore now.

PWW

Well… where to start?

I'm not very happy with myself. I suppose that's as good a place as any to start this off - I had settled on a post every Sunday and I missed last week (and nearly this week, just a little late)

This weekend marked my 8th anniversary with Rhi.
What does that have to do with my path? Getting to that in just a moment!

We decided to change it up this year and go shopping downtown together and pick things out we liked and the other would “buy” it for them. 
Among my gifts were two things I specifically picked out for my altar: 
A cute little hand carved & painted wooden skull

And a beautiful sandstone vase with a salamander on it

And Rhi is the proud owner of a hand painted sugar skull cabinet

As you can see these gifts have found pretty great homes on our altars. I like that we were able to blend a bit more of our spiritual relationship in with the anniversary this year. 

PWW

T is for Tarot.

Tarot has always been, and I imagine will always be a very important part of my craft.
It's one of the ways I feel most connected with… My gods and spiritual guiding forces (as I call them)

I pull cards daily ( sometimes only 1, sometimes 3) and if I'm really unsure I do a larger reading, preferring variations on 5 card spreads.

I'm also always on the lookout for new decks because too many tarot decks = not possible. Different decks for different moods I say!

The current deck I use most frequently is the wheel if the year tarot: I love the way this one looks, easy to understand & beautiful art. 

Wheel of the Year Tarot

But sometimes I like to go back to the first deck I owned: the Robin Wood Tarot (pic)… It feels familiar, cozy, I will always love this one.

Robin Wood Tarot

I have also dabbled in Rune casting, but I'll cover that at a later time... 

PWW

So I've been feeling less… Connected to the particular god and goddess I dedicated myself to back in 2006. Hermes and Aphrodite. At the time I definitely needed their bond to help strengthen my communication and love / passion. But that was 6 years ago and being on the other side of more than a few spiritual slumps I'm think perhaps our time to be so closely tied is either already passed or near its end. So I've got my eyes open trying to figure out who fits the new me - or better yet (litterally this just occurred to me) - who can help me find a connection again?

My girlfriend (we'll refer to her as “R”) says I shouldn't be actively seeking, that it's best to just keep myself open and 'let it come to me'. Maybe that's best, but it's going to be hard to overcome the feeling of being lazy if I do. I'll give it a shot though because she's usually correct… 

PWW

The start of what will be a journey to find myself; my PAGAN self that is. But wait… are the two really separate? Maybe that's the problem to start with, I've slipped into the habit of compartmentalizing things in my life and that's not cutting the mustard any longer. Time to bring it together and make a spiritually fulfilling spread. Mmm yes I am hungry.

PWW