Full Moon Blessings!

Full Moon Blessings to All!!!

Today we have the Full Moon of November.

We call Her Snow Moon, Frost Moon, Fire Moon,

Hunter's Moon, and Full Beaver Moon.

Full Moon Prayer

Mother's Lantern shining so bright,

Harken to my call on this Full Moon night.

Alight my body in the Mother's sight,

And let Her know my heart this night.

Lady, your fertile powers bestow upon me,

That I may healthy, wealthy, and wise ever be!

For You I offer scent and flame,

All honor to You, Blessed Be Your Name!

(copyright E A Kaufman, 2012)

I love a chill in the air while watching the light of the full moon reflect in the lake's dark mirrored surface. As the wind whispers across the water, the reflection of the Mother's Lantern shimmers and dances. I sit at the lake's edge, making my offering, pouring a libation, chanting my invocations and prayers. I watch and listen for messages, some sign, something. When I feel that feverish feeling come over my body, I know I am between the worlds. Sometimes I will make the descent, especially at this time of year, when even in the light of Her Lantern there are dark places... waiting, holding secrets, beckoning. 

Later tonight, after I finish at the lake and hedge, I will go inside and light a fire in the hearth along with Hestia's Lamp. Hestia has come to hold the Witch-Fire for me, a surprise the first time it happened, but a wonderful experience. I always light Her lantern first, and extinguish it last as is the way to honor Her. One night, I heard Hestia say, "Here, I hold the Witch-Fire for you now, make use of it as you do your hearth flame." A very special and good thing.

Once the fires are lit, I will build a new shrine to Hekate. I received a most wonderful gift from a dear friend, for Hallows. I was so incredibly surprised and touched. My new statue was made by Jeff Cullen, see his website here.  She is incredibly beautiful, and was created with special attributes. Within Her statue are herbs and stones; she wears a belt of keys, has a skull, snake, and two hounds at Her feet. This statue is So perfect a depiction, She even has three faces. So... a special new shrine is in order.

When the shrine is finished, I shall draw some cards from The Medicine Woman deck, which I have been working with recently. This deck is telling me stories that I need to hear. I am listening.

May your own rituals be rewarding and bring you connection to your Goddesses. 

Blessings nine!

Succulent Sark!

Most of you have heard of Sark, a wonderful gal that shares the positive, empowerment, and just plain good stuff. I've been reading her work for years. A friends posted this YouTube video on Facebook and I watched it, once again amazed by how this woman can inspire me. So... I'm sharing it here. If you've never heard of her, watch, listen, absorb; do the same if you have heard of her.



Sark's website:  http://planetsark.com/

Blessings nine!

So September Arrives!

copyright 2010 E A Kaufman

... all things change and pass in the end,

and when they are past we must rest and forget.

That too is the law of the gods.

When the summer is over, the land must sleep,

root and stone and water and earth:

the seed in the furrow, the beast in the hole,

the leaf on the tree giving itself to the air,

lightly - lightly - no weight staying it

- to fall to the ground and to rest.

To rest and to rest, safe on the ground,

deep under the snow,

with nothing to trouble it, only to rest.

... Rest, rest and forget.

The seed to the furrow, the beast to the hole,

the leaf to the ground,

and all to rest and forget.

- from The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope -

Happy September! Ah... how I love the change from August to September. The great wheel of the seasons slowly, slowly moving. I  look forward to certain tasks - changing the quilt on our bed, mixing a new cinnamon and clove pot pourri. I also pull out my worn and spattered recipe for apple butter, waiting for new apples to arrive. And then... pomanders! Those clove studded oranges that leave my fingertips stained brown and scented with cloves and orange no matter how many times I wash them. Delish! They add that wonderful orange spice scent to my home along with the apple butter. Oh... and my favorite Fanny Farmer Apple Cake recipe - also spattered and worn - scrumptious, buttery and spicy. Casseroles, stews, soups - all the recipes come out and so what if it is still warm outside? Inside, Autumn is about to arrive! It all makes me feel so Septemberish. Ah, if only I could live in Autumn all year long!

And, of course, there are magicakal tasks too; brews, herbal blends to prepare; spells and rituals to review - all for the coming season - The Autumn Equinox and Hallows; dark moons and full moons. 

So tomorrow, upon rising, the September tasks begin! A delightful day ahead.

Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it.

If I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

- George Eliot -

Blessings nine!

Thanksgiving, Catching Up With the Truth & Some Stitching!

Well, back to business here, I need to get caught up on my Thirty Days of Truth. But before I do that, I have a few words to say about Thanksgiving. It seems there are folks among us who think we shouldn't celebrate such a day - Angelina Jolie, being the most famous, she thinks it's a day of murder. Even in the Pagan community there are many who believe that because the people who came here hundreds of years ago were invaders (I thought they were looking for freedom) we shouldn't celebrate this day. There are others who say that because of what was done to the indigenous American Indians, we shouldn't celebrate. Well, folks, I celebrate Thanksgiving because I am grateful to live in this wonderful country, I am grateful for all I have, my wonderful life and all the people who love me and are part of that life. I can't undo what was done hundreds of years ago - hell, my people weren't even in this country, but that is neither here nor there. No one alive now did any of what happened then. Yes, you have the right to speak out, voice your opinion and  there is still prejudice and horror in the world; yes, we should certainly work for peace and healing, but if you have a problem with a day of giving thanks, too bad, we need that day of thanks, we need our holidays. Celebration is good for us all, it's a day to be thankful people! Focus on the good, the generosity of our country and its people and put away your politics for at least of day. Make blessings and give thanks instead of spreading negativity, criticism and, yes, grumpiness! As for Angelina Jolie - that girl can just stay in France as far as I'm concerned, although she ought to consider that she should be thankful that she has the right to say what she feels, at least in America! OK, rant over.


I spent Thanksgiving with my husband's cousin and his wife and Aunt at Mizner Country Club in Delray Beach. Magnificent buffet, very traditional, turkey and all the fixings as well as prime rib and fish. The dessert table was also fabulous and the company, of course, was wonderful. We had a great day. I really love my husband's Aunt Harriet, she's a darling. I did miss cooking though, even as much work as it is.


On to my thirty days, for which I am also thankful because it has been such a healing, searching process!!! I am going to catch up with a few here today - rather easy ones.


12.  Something you never seem to get compliments about.


I can't answer this. Everything I've ever thought I ought to be complimented on - and those I never thought to be - I am. I don't think about not receiving compliments, to be honest. A compliment is a gift, I take them as they come and if they don't, well, it doesn't occur to me to give it a second thought. The other issue might be that, for me, I have an abundance of self-worth -  most of the time, so don't worry about this. I honestly can't think of anything.


13. A band or artist that has gotten you through touch times.


Oh, easy peasey!!! Carly Simon, hands down! That lady has seen me through it all, I adore her and her music. I've been listening to her music since she started out, when I was a teenager. I've been singing and playing her music on guitar for years. I well remember sitting on the grass on our front lawn, friends gathered around me, all of us with our guitars, singing her music. I have an old book of her music with lots of her family photos from the 70s that is just falling apart, held together with a rubber band!  My wedding song was Forever My Love. I can't tell you how often she's gotten me through tough times - and... good times too.


14. A hero that has let you down.


I don't know that she was a hero really, but Anne Sexton's poetry was very inspiring to me as a poet myself. I learned a great deal from her work. Then... she committed suicide and I just couldn't believe it. How I felt she wasted her talent and betrayed me! Of course, I was very young then, I didn't understand mental illness, nor were some of the things she did known then. Now, of course, I have compassion for such a tormented woman. Of course, I didn't have to grow up with her in my home, still, I regret her loss


15. Someone or something you couldn't live without.


Again, easy peasey  - my husband, I love him madly, and my freedom.


16. Someone or something you could definitely live without.


Again, easy - negativity in the world. What's the problem with live and let live? I'm going to leave it at that because otherwise, I'll be here all night!!!


OK, that's that for now. The next one, a book that changed my view about something, is going to be tough; so many books have inspired, gifted me with wisdom and provoked thought .


And now for some needlework!!! Over the past week and a half I've finished stitching two little ornament and very pretty they are, if I do say so myself! I also had finished a little witch stitch over the summer which I hadn't posted, so here they all are!


This one is from, I believe, Raise The Roof designs, although I left off the right side which said, Screech and  you screech alone. There was a major meeting about this, LOL, and it was decided that it was a more positive message without the other side!!!

This little beauty is from the December, 2010 issue of The Gift of Stitching e-zine, a really terrific stitching magazine (www.thegiftofstitching.com) which you should take a look at if you stitch and haven't seen it. I ADORE blackwork and just fell in love with this. I thought this design would look wonderful on this new linen, called Cognac, which I found at my LNS, Cross Stitch Cupboard in Fort Lauderdale. Those women who work there really know how to twist arms, LOL, I was looking for some orange linen for a Halloween ornament (from the September/October 2010 issue of Just CrossStitch) which they also managed to find, but I couldn't live without this - the photo doesn't do the color justice. I see more blackwork designs on this linen even if it isn't traditional!

Now, this little ornament is from the 2010 Christmas Ornament issue of Just CrossStitch, designed by Louise Henderson of Cherished Stitches, my favorite design of all in this issue. I have to stitch it together this weekend so it will be ready for my Solstice tree!

Oh... and speaking of blackwork, I follow a blog, http://practicalblackwork.blogspot.com, where I discovered at her website, www.practicalblackwork.com that she has released ten designs called Small Fancies - I AM beside myself!!!!!!!!!!!! They are gorgeous and this is what I will be stitching this weekend. I was given permission to share her photo of the smalls from the website so you can take a look. Gorgeous! I will have my own basket of smalls soon too!

Here are some photos of my stitching basket, which was made by someone whose name I can't remember. A few of us went to a stitching retreat, I think in the late 80s, in Gainesville, Florida at Sally Cresswell's shop, where these were being sold, minus all the buttons, ribbons, pins, etc. The embellishment work is all mine, mostly done the year I purchased the basket, but updated every so often as a new button or pin is found, over the years. The little crazy quilt block was made by my friend, Zoritza, an incredibly talented seamstress, quilter, beader - you name it. She had a fabric store in Miami for many years, where I learned to sew and gained a lifelong friend whom I love dearly. She is 80 now and partially blind from her diabetes, yet she still sews her quilts. This basket is one of those things I receive many compliments on and, believe it or not, I have to be very careful with it - it is coveted by many, LOL!!! 

So there I am, all caught up! This weekend will be spent stitching, reading and decorating the Toadstool for the Solstice!!! I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as mine.


Blessings nine!

Counting Blessings

Counting blessings, you may ask, Gentle Reader, what can this be about? Well, I stumbled upon a stitch-along where squares are stitched on fabric, then within each a small design that represents a blessing in one's life. Now, you may also ask, how many witches will be participating in this little scheme and do those mundane stitchers have any clue that a witch has decided to stitch along? Probably no idea and I'm not sure how welcome a witch might be. I'm going to say, in the world of stitching, it won't matter. (No laughing ladies - you know who you are!)

In any event, I am adding this along to my other projects: The Nativity (the one being stitched by a witch who is married to a Jew for her Catholic mother) as well as the little anniversary stitch by Beth of Heartstring Samplery for our thirtieth (oh gods!) wedding anniversary - and... many other things!

Some ladies are stitching 100 squares - very adventurous indeed and I think I may follow suit - you know me, why not? It will stir my creative energies and the squares are only 1 inch square - can I actually fit my blessings into one inch squares? I'll keep going until my needle drops from my bloody, worn fingers!!! What is one more thing to do after all? Tomorrow I will choose a fabric from my vast stash and draw in the grid as suggested. Further info can be found here:  http://countedblessingsproject.blogspot.com/. I have no intention of starting another blog just for this project, as suggested. I am the Witch of Stitches and here it shall be documented!

In addition to the stitching, I have an article to prepare for Goddess Pages which I hope to see in the Summer issue - keep your fingers crossed everyone! I am also coming down to the last weeks of school - if I can get back ASAP. I took a fall at the shampoo sinks on Wednesday (wet floor) and injured my arm when I attempted to catch myself - which I did not do - I fell hard on my knees and my arm was pulled in such a way as my hand, arm, shoulder and neck are not in good shape. Knees are both bruised, one swollen and worse than the other, along with an ankle that is pretty tender and my back is pretty stiff. My dear chiropractor nearly ripped my head off adjusting my neck - but it needed doing however much I dislike the procedure. The  weekend will be spent in the same manner as yesterday and today: ice packs, Reiki, reading, tea and stitching - oh and of course, a little writing. 

One other interesting tidbit: my sister has been teaching cosmetology in New York for many years. Recently her school has been invaded by a movie crew - a remake of Mildred Pearce. The front of the school has been transformed into the front of a restaurant! The exciting part though is that her students are participating in the make-up and wardrobe for the movie. I know from my school, that many of the kids are doing their own photo shoots with make-up, hair and fashion, so I can imagine how Steph's students are feeling. Good for all of them, I hope they are having a grand time.

Anyway, a cup of tea awaits me, brewing away, and it is very late. A late nap this afternoon has interrupted my regularly scheduled bedtime. I will be up for a while yet listening to a collection of classical music that was offered free at Amazon.com - a very nice collection, if I do say so. Thank you Amazon, although, with all the money I spend there, it is the least they can do, LOL!

Blessings nine!