Huginn and Munnin Muse About Raidho

We are currently working with Raidho in the rune group that I am a member of. At it's core, Raidho represents travel, a journey. I have been thinking a lot about the path I am currently on and the direction I am being led in, and am feeling very certain that I am exactly where I need to be. :)

Pittsburgh Pagan Pride 2014

Pittsburgh Pagan Pride Day 2014! is coming up next weekend, Saturday October 4, 2014!! The festival runs from 12-7 and this year is being hosted at the beautiful Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills! The cost of admission is a canned good for our local food bank. They have an amazing line up of speakers, workshops, readers, healers, and vendors this year! If you're in the Pittsburgh area and are Pagan or Pagan-friendly, you should definitely check this event out! Guest speakers this year include Brendan Myers, Susun Weed, and Alaric Albertson (who hails from and resides here in Pittsburgh)!

Gratitude Project 2014 (final)

9/20/14: I am grateful for the opportunity to relax, to be outside in the sunshine and breeze, and to delight in observation.

9/21/14: I am grateful for my spiritual community, for the opportunity to affirm, learn, and explore.

That concludes the Gratitude Project for 2014. Blessed Mabon/Happy Autumnal Equinox to all!

Gratitude Project 2014

9/18/14: I am grateful for stamina, and finding inner strength when I wonder if I have anything left.

9/19/14: I am grateful for the kindness of others. Stopped at Joann's after work to get some things I needed. The very kind cashier urged me to pull up their most recent email on my phone and applied multiple coupons to my order, which ended up cutting my bill in half.

Gratitude Project 2014

9/12/14: I am grateful for a cool evening spent with friends and my husband drinking delicious beer at a local zoo fundraiser. Skal!

9/13/14: I am grateful for the opportunity to touch young people's lives, and to be reminded that the work I do, even the small things, matter more than I sometimes think they do.

9/14/14: I am grateful for being able to escape reality and enter the mind of a character for a few hours.

9/15/14: I am grateful that the passing of time was not so quick as I usually perceive it, and was able to enjoy the day without mourning that it is so fleeting.

9/16/14: I am grateful to be trusted and affirmed in the things I feel are true.

9/17/14: I am grateful for inspiration.

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday: I am grateful for the existence of anti inflammatory drugs in my house.

Today: I am grateful for the little breaks I get from the universe when I need them. Thank you!

Gratitude Project 2014

9/5/14: Today I am grateful to celebrate my 5th wedding anniversary with my husband. We went to the Irish Festival and he managed to find (haha) a Thor's hammer pendant amongst the Celtic knots and claddaughs, which he promptly bought for me. I absolutely love it. I bought him a Brigid's cross, which he's been wanting for awhile.

9/6/14: Today I am grateful to celebrate the wedding of two very good friends who have been through and are still going through A LOT of difficulty. Their love for each other is beautiful and I am very happy for them both and wish them much happiness. The groom whispered to me that they were inspired by my wedding for their reception, which they had at a BEAUTIFUL county park shelter that I'd never been to before. It was a lovely day, and the rain held off till the very end when everyone was leaving.

9/7/14: Today I am grateful for being able to catch most of the Steelers game while I was making a meal for a group of good friends. I am also grateful for said meal turning out to be delicious! Finally, I am grateful for the handmade soaps one of said friends brought me. I look forward to using them!

9/8/14: Today I am grateful for being able to witness justice being served. I am also grateful that I was not involved in an accident and did not get stuck in the awful traffic coming home from work caused by a car flipping completely over. It was pretty scary to see the result of the accident.

9/9/14: Today I am grateful that it is the monthly 'Crafting the Craft' pagan craft night and look forward to attending that after I finish work today!

Gratitude Project 2014

I have some catching up to do!

8/31/14: I am grateful that it did not rain while we were away visiting the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival. It was very hot and humid and the clouds looked ominous at times, but not a drop fell from the sky. Hail Thor, and thank you!

9/1/14: I am grateful for the opportunity to get away for a few days with my husband, one of our dearest friends, and his fiance. I am grateful we had a safe trip back and made good time despite very heavy traffic at times and some inclement weather. I am also grateful for a rest stop being exactly where I needed it to be when I needed it!

9/2/14: I am grateful for people being understanding when I have no voice because of a cold/sinus thing. I am also grateful for my cooking skills and all the folks who helped contribute to their development. I made a big pot of magical, healing chicken noodle soup and ate a bowl for supper. Delicious.

9/3/14: I am grateful that my immune system seems to be rallying against this cold/sinus thing that's going on. My voice is slowly coming back and I am feeling less tired today.

9/4/14: I am grateful for people caring enough to know what some of my interests are, that when they see something related to my interests, they immediately share it with me. I think that's awesome, and it makes me feel loved. :)

Gratitude Project 2014

I am grateful for people who take a moment to say kind things that lift my spirits when I am having an terriblehorribleawfulnogoodverybad day. Yesterday's winners are one of my former clients, coworkers, my work partner, my supervisor, my brother-in-law, and my husband. Thank you.

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday: I am grateful for affirmation.

Today: I am grateful for the opportunity to share Deep Truth with others who are suffering, that they may be able to release burdensome guilt.

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday: In honor of the first day of school, I am grateful for public education, and the benefits I reaped from it growing up!

Today: I am grateful for reciprocity, and folks who believe in it! :)

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday: I am grateful for the opportunity to receive and work the energy of Fehu. I was gifted with 4 free concert tickets and kept the energy flowing by gifting two of them to a friend of ours.

Today: I am grateful for having beautiful weather today. We are going to our local Renaissance Festival and then to said concert later this evening! :)

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday: I am grateful for my sister in law, who makes me laugh and really touched my heart yesterday.

Today: I am grateful for the online rune group I was recently invited to, the folks there are amazing and I feel very at home. We are taking two weeks on each rune. Right now we are working with Uruz, which is very appropriate!

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday was one of those days where it is hard to find something to be grateful for. I am grateful for the empathy of others, especially my coworkers. Hopefully today is less shitty.

Gratitude Project 2014

Sunday: Today I am grateful that my friend Magnolia invited me to her birthday gathering! I had a lovely time and ate delicious shrimp and talked runes and Dr. Who with lovely people. It was delightful!

Monday: I am grateful that husband made it home safely, and that we were able to enjoy the day together having lunch, going to the movies, and then just sitting outside watching children play in a water fountain. It was a good day off!

Tuesday: I am grateful for positive feedback given to me today. It really made my day!

Gratitude Project 2014

I am grateful for a relatively quiet and productive day at work yesterday, and hope that the same is true today! I am also grateful that my husband is coming home from Gencon later tonight. I miss him! The house has been very quiet with just me and the kittehs.

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday: I am grateful for things that I anticipate are going to be complicated and annoying that turn out to not be complicated or annoying. For feeling a sense of accomplishment of something useful. Such a good feeling! :)

Today: I am grateful that whomever had parked their van blocking me into my driveway (I stayed home last night due to this) moved their van so I will be able to get to work later today without risking damage to my vehicle.

Hands-on Worship

Hands-on Worship

Sharing this beautifully written blog piece shared by my friend Magnolia. I really connected with this!

Gratitude Project 2014

Yesterday: I am grateful for being able to have a lovely evening out with my sister-in-law, getting pedicures and having dinner and chatting about life, people, and the blessing and curse that is the interwebs. I also had a blast window shopping while we were waiting for our table at Burgatory.

Today: I am grateful for humor, and how it can connect folks who come from so very different of places.

Gratitude Project 2014

Today I am grateful for having an amazing and flexible veterinarian who was able to see me and Finnegan yesterday. They think he has FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease). He has meds for awhile which he's been cooperative with (another gratitude) thus far. Looks like we'll be switching him over to a wet food diet, which should also assist with slimming him down a bit (he's about 2 lbs overweight). My poor little buddy. I am so very grateful he wasn't blocked and that this is a treatable condition.

On another note, I am feeling very sad about the death of Robin Williams. He was such an amazing talent. His death really hit home for me in a lot of ways, both personally and professionally. Hail the Traveler. May he find peace and be wrapped in the love of those whom he touched in his life, and may his family and friends find comfort in one another and in remembering the joy and laughter he brought to so many.

Gratitude Project 2014

Today I am grateful for memory.

Gratitude Project 2014

Today I am grateful that it is Friday, and I have a three day weekend (though it's a busy one!)!

Gratitude Project 2014

Today is my husband's birthday! :) I am grateful that he is my partner and my best friend. That he completely accepts me for who I am and respects me even when we don't agree. That he makes me laugh and delights in making me happy. That sometimes we react and say the exact same things. That he walks with me and holds my hand. That he says I am beautiful no matter how gross I feel. I love you!

Gratitude Project 2014

Today I am grateful for my cat Finnegan. He registers on the neurotic end of the cat personality spectrum but he has to be one of the sweetest cats I've ever known. He has an evening routine with me that involves curling up next to me when I lay down in bed and demanding that I pet him for awhile before I fall asleep. You can read all over his little face that he thinks it's the Best. Thing. Evar. The sense I get of my existence making a living creature so happy when I struggle to do so with people sometimes is very comforting. His unconditional love and adoration has been with me from the day we went into Petco to buy food for our other cat and he reached out of his cage and grabbed my hand with his paws.

Gratitude Project 2014

It is my mother's birthday today, and every year on this day my thoughts and gratitude are of her. She who carried me, bore me, held me, nursed me, raised me, taught me (and still teaches me), and watched me grow. Today I am grateful to be her daughter, and to always be held in her love. Happy birthday, Momma!

Gratitude Project 2014

8/3/14: Today I am grateful for a lovely brunch at a castle (no joke) with friends to celebrate a particular friend's birthday, and for a lovely Lammas ritual with my CUUPS group to celebrate the first harvest!

8/4/14: Today I am grateful the quiet and cool morning, and a fresh, full flavored cup of coffee in my raven mug. Happy Monday!

Gratitude Project 2014

The Gratitude Project runs from Lammas to Mabon. It entails you being mindful of whatever brings you Joy and you journal what you are grateful for each day between those Sabbats. No repeats - you can be grateful for your spouse/kids/job/friends, but the reason for the gratitude needs to be different for each entry. It can BIG or not, your journal/blog entry can be long or short. It can be on paper or in pixels and public or private. A daily focused devotional work that runs from first to second harvest is a lovely and useful thing, what better to carry us into the dark half of the year than being mindful for all we have to be grateful for?

8/1/14: I am grateful I let my husband talk me into going to see Guardians of the Galaxy last night. GREAT movie. I laughed until my stomach hurt.

8/2/14: I am grateful for the sweet patron at my husband's community library who shared his first harvest with us-a bag of big, fat, long green beans. When I got home from the grocery store I cleaned and parboiled them, then sauteed them with a little butter, olive oil, lemon thyme, and lots of sliced garlic. This is a dish of my grandmere's, and it is one of my favorite things on the planet. French comfort food. I retrieved our first harvest of the season this morning--4 red tomatoes. We also have a jalapeno that's ready to pick. I see BLTs in my future!

The World Tree

Ask veit ek standa,
heitir Yggdrasils,
hár baðmr, ausinn
hvíta auri;
þaðan koma döggvar,
þærs í dala falla,
stendr æ yfir grænn
Urðarbrunni.

20.
Þaðan koma meyjar
margs vitandi
þrjár ór þeim sæ,
er und þolli stendr;
Urð hétu eina,
aðra Verðandi,
- skáru á skíði, -
Skuld ina þriðju;
þær lög lögðu,
þær líf kuru
alda börnum,
örlög seggja.

There stands an ash called Yggdrasil,
A mighty tree showered in white hail.
From there come the dews that fall in the valleys.
It stands evergreen above Urd’s Well.

From there come maidens, very wise,
Three from the lake that stands beneath the pole.
One is called Urd, another Verdandi,
Skuld the third; they carve into the tree
The lives and destinies of children.

Failure, runes, and mead!: A brief update

So clearly I have failed to keep up with PBP 2014 as evidenced by my last post being in March...alas, as always, my life exploded and its been extremely hard to find time for it. I am proud that I made it much farther than last year, and am hoping to give it another go next year! I've been trying to direct more energy into other areas of my life, which I feel is what I need to be doing right now. There's been a lot of stuff going on recently, which I hope and pray everyday is leading to positive change (as anxiety provoking and scary as that is for me) and movement for me. [Oh please, ohpleaseohpleaseohplease]. For now I have to be patient and wait.

I am still working with the runes, and am hoping to be able to find some time at least once a week to pull a rune and write a small blurby blog entry about that. I was recently gifted with a beautiful set of runes, and also have materials to craft my own set which I plan to do soon (I'm thinking about doing that between Mabon and Samhain).


I finally cracked a bottle of the strawberry mead I made last year in honor of Freya last weekend. We were doing a beer tasting with friends while camping, and husband had the idea to make a braggot using my mead and Abita Strawberry Harvest Ale. If you're on Untappd, it's called Freya's Delight Strawberry Braggot. OH. MY. GODS. IT. IS. AMAZING. I also put another batch of mead on to brew, this one is a recipe from the book, 'True Brews,' and is a lavender-blueberry mead. I'm feeling good about it thus far, and it is coming along well. My next batch in August will likely me a vanilla peach recipe, also from that same book.

F is for Frigga (PBP2014)

Frigga ("beloved one"; also known as Frigg) is the All-Mother of the Norse pantheon. She is the wife of Odin and the Queen of Asgard, Goddess of marriage, childbirth, motherhood, wisdom, homemaking, weaving, and spinning. As Goddess of weaving, Frigga is associated with Wyrd, and is said to possess powers of prophecy, yet She does not reveal what She knows or attempt to change it. She is associated with constellation the Orion's Belt which was known as the Frigg’s Distaff upon which She is said to spin the wool that the Norns use to weave the Web of Wyrd.

There is a woman who weaves in the sky
See how She spins, see Her finger fly
She's been before us from beginning to end
She is our mother, lover and friend
She is the weaver and we are the web
She is the needle and we are the thread.
- from "Changing Woman" by Adele Getty

F is for Fehu (PBP 2014)

Fehu (pronounced, "fay-who") is the first rune of Freyr's aett, and the first rune of the Elder Futhark. The word fehu means, "cattle." In Viking society, livestock were a measure of an individual's success and ability to provide for the needs of the community. Fehu can represent wealth, property, prosperity, abundance, new beginnings (kinda), financial strength in the present or near future, fertility, and luck/hamingja. This rune is very helpful in spells involving prosperity, fertility, and money.

Rune Secrets says this about Fehu: "Fehu is actually the rune of ‘luck’. The universe is not so much made up by chance, as by luck. Luck is a hidden but real energy field inherent in your ‘hamingja’. Fehu governs the capacity to hold this luck and use it like a magical ability. This basic energy, your accumulated luck, is the foundation of the wealth and power in your life."

For more information on hamingja, check out The Parts of the Self at Norse Mythology for Smart People.

Fehu by Wardruna

E is for Eihwaz (PBP 2014)

Eihwaz (pronounced "yew-was") is the 5th rune of Heimdall's aett. The meaning of the word eihwaz is, literally, "yew tree."

I really like what Magin Rose says about Eihwaz: "It is the rune of the Yew tree, a symbol of age, endurance, death, and eternal life. The Yew tree is an evergreen, in the depths of winter it lives on, reminding us of the tenacity of life and the will to survive."

Eihwaz can represent protection, defense, strength, and endurance (from Runes, Alphabet of Mystery). This rune is associated with the driving psychological forces that spur us into action. Eihwaz works to remind us of the bigger reasons why we do the things we do when we are struggling to feel motivated. Eihwaz's energy, which is the energy of the axis mundi, of Yggdrasil connecting Asgard, Midgard, and Hel, can be helpful for communication with the underworld and the dead. Eihwaz is sometimes compared to the Death card in the tarot, being a rune of transformation.

E is for Ehwaz (PBP 2014)

Happiest of Fridays to all you fine folks! It is bitterly cold here and unfortunately we're expecting another storm front over the weekend (hoping the weather people are wrong about that). Seems like winter will not go away quietly. My poor husband came down with a nasty cold yesterday, so when I got home from work I was focused on caring for him, and last night when I laid down for bed (after watching the premiere of Vikings Season Two on the History Channel, of course!), I started sniffling myself. I've already fought off one cold this winter without going to the doctor so hopefully I can do it again!

I may end up doing an extra entry for 'E' because I want to do a post about Eir, but there are two 'E' runes. But I digress...this week's blog is about Ehwaz, the third rune of Tyr's Aett.

Ehwaz (pronounced "ay-was") literally means, "horse." This rune is thought to represent transportation, movement, and change. Ehwaz can also mean teamwork, trust, harmony, and loyalty, as in an ideal marriage or partnership, as well as the horse/rider relationship. Rune Secrets notes that Ehwaz governs establishing trust and bonds with animals.

D is for Doom of the Gods-Ragnarok (PBP 2014)

I have enjoyed reading all the articles that have been popping up on my news feed this week on Facebook about Ragnarok.

According to Facebook, Ragnarok is trending. I find that extraordinarily amusing. Anyhow, here's some of the articles for your perusing pleasure:

Are you ready for the Viking Apocalypse? Norse myth predicts world will end this Saturday

This weekend is Ragnarok. But it isn't the end of the world.

Ragnarok: will the world end in Viking apocalypse tomorrow?

Want to meet the end smelling fabulous? Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, my favorite scent wizards, have developed an entire line of limited edition oil blends in honor of the impending doom. It was difficult to choose, but I finally decided on the Waters of the Well of Mimir:

Ragnarok Archives

How am I spending the Doom of the Gods? With an early morning marathon of Game of Thrones!

All joking aside, I personally don't believe that Ragnarok is the end of our linear timeline; rather, I see it as symbolic of the immanent cycle of life, death, and rebirth that all things, even the Gods themselves, are subject to.

Feel free to share your own thoughts below!

D is for Dagaz (PBP 2014)

We're back to the runes this week! D is for Dagaz, the 23rd rune of the Elder Futhark and 7th rune of Tyr's Aett. Dagaz (from Runes, Alphabet of Mystery: pronounced "thaw-gauze"; voiced th as in "the"; never unvoiced th as in "thick" or d as in "dog") represents new beginnings, daylight, the coming of the dawn, awakening, awareness, receiving the gift of inspiration (the gift of Odin), breakthrough, clarity, transformation, hope/happiness, and the power of growth and change. Pulling Dagaz can indicate that it is a good time to start planning or beginning a new project.

Rune Secrets says this about Dagaz: "Dagaz is the counterpart to the rune Jera. Both refer to time, Jera on an annual cycle and Dagaz on a daily cycle. Both are runes of change – Jera is a rune of gentle change, Dagaz is a rune of bold change, for example, the burst of light at the moment of illumination...Much has been written on the psychology and metaphysics of uniting left and right brain functions. Dagaz holds dominion over this union and is a tool that gives you great potency for present awareness and future growth. It is reminiscent of the lemniscate, the symbol of infinity, and the moebius strip, timelessness and illimitable potential, as well as an overturned hourglass."

C is for Cakes and Ale (PBP 2014)

I'm not afraid to admit that cakes and ale is my favorite part of ritual. For me, my spirituality is a very personal path, and it has been that way for as long as I can remember. I intentionally choose to be a part of a group not because they all believe or practice the same way that I do (they certainly don't)--it is because of the community it provides, and I see cakes and ale as a major part of fostering that community.

It is very important to me that I bring something to contribute for cakes and ale, because it means that I am helping to nourish and sustain the community. Last week for Imbolc, I brought a bottle of home-brewed mead (the Rocky Mountain Red, for those of you who are longer-time readers of this blog), and a bowl of fruit salad. As we were honoring several triads of goddesses, including the Norns, I chose 3 different types of berries-strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, sprinkled a little raw sugar over them and let them mascerate. By the end of ritual the entire bowl was demolished, and most of the mead was gone! I enjoy being mindful of what I choose to contribute and connecting it to the ritual or the season we are celebrating somehow. For Yule I brought my crockpot and served heated spiced cider (wassail!) and citrus solstice cookies stamped with my sun cookie stamp (those were a huge hit with my friends' son who kept grabbing them off the plate and running from his father!). I also made a deep, dark gingerbread Yule Log topped with 'snow' (powdered sugar) in my mother's bouche de Noel pan. For a food-based ritual last summer I made fiery red curried lentils. For our annual Beltane picnic I usually make what I refer to as 'Freya's Salad' with baby spinach, strawberries, candied walnuts, goat cheese, and home-made fig balsamic vinaigrette. For Ostara, I usually make something with eggs (sorry vegans!). You get the idea.

For me, cakes and ale is a time to ground, get to know the other folks in my group, as well as allow them to get to know me. I think that's a part of the work we do, too. It's not always easy for folks to be themselves, their true selves, to open up, communicate without fear, and trust others. Food has an amazing way of comforting and relaxing people, and it provides a vehicle for this.

Another part of cakes and ale that I really enjoy is libation; taking a portion of our food and drink and offering it to the Gods with thanks. It reminds me of the Asatru ritual of blot. I think this simple action can be very powerful.

For Tuesday

Sometimes you need to play Lily Allen at the end of the day.

For the Nornir at Imbolc 2014

Honoring the Nornir
by Ravensong

Dearest Norns, Sisters, Weavers of Wyrd,
We honor You
Urd, Which Once Was,
Who shows us that wisdom is gleaned from the past.
Vendandi, That Which Is Coming Into Being,
Who teaches us to be present here and now.
Skuld, What Shall Be,
Who fills our hearts with the possibilities of the future.
We are grateful for your blessings
And offer You this gift.


Invocation To The Fates
from the Pagan Book of Hours

Spin truth into words,
Spin words into doom,
Spin doom into fortune,
Spin fortune into life,
Spin my life fine and strong,
O Lady with the spindle
Whose thread is my beginning.

Weave truth into vision,
Weave vision into mind,
Weave mind into spirit,
Weave spirit into life,
Weave my life with depth and color,
O Lady with the shuttle
Whose tapestry is my existence.

Cut truth away from falsehood,
Cut falsehood away from illusion,
Cut illusion away from matter,
Cut matter away from body,
Cut my body away from my life
When the time comes,
O Lady with the shears
Whose knowing hand is my doom
And also my truth.

C is for Crafting (PBP 2014)

We are now on week 5 of the Pagan Blog Project and have reached the letter C. (And I'm still managing to keep up! Praise the gods!) This week I'm going to talk about an important part of my personal practice, the magic of crafting; of using my hands, energy, and focus to create things. I think this topic is especially appropriate given that it is Imbolc, and Brigid, who is one of the deities honored at this time of the year, is the goddess of inspiration, creativity, and smiths!

I have many friends who are amazing artists. I don't know that I would ever describe myself as one (although at one time in my life I had quite a talent for music which unfortunately was put to the side when I went to college and focused my studies on psychology). I would use the word artisan to describe myself, rather than artist. I see the things I create as being very practical.

What do I craft? Whatever I can. I see myself as a Jack-of-all-trades-variety crafter--expert at none, but I have picked up many things along my journey. I craft mead to honor my Gods, I craft jewelry, I craft clothing items to adorn myself and my beloved ones, I craft tools to aid my various workings, I craft teas, potpourris, balms, lotions, vinegars, and tinctures using herbs for healing. I particularly love crafting delicious meals, especially using items I have grown myself in my garden, to feed and nourish myself and my beloved ones. Some of the activities I have learned and engage in on a regular basis include:

Crochet
Knitting
Wortcunning (herb craft/knowledge)
Chainmaille/Wireworking
Kumihimo (I wove my and my husband's handfasting cord, which I still have in a special box upstairs in our bedroom)
Runecrafting
Brewing (mead--haven't tried my hand at beer yet but it's coming)
Gardening
Cooking and baking

I also love learning new crafts. This morning, when I was waiting for my phone/internet/cable provider to come to restore my service, I pulled out my lucet, which is a very old tool used for cord making that dates back to the time of the Vikings. While I waited, I used some stash yarn from a recent project to weave a cord, which I will be taking to a ritual tomorrow to give as an offering to the Norns.

One craft I have been desperately wanting to learn is spinning. I took a one time class, but there were a lot of students and the teacher seemed to have very little patience for those of us who were struggling with it. Fortunately, in the past few years, I've made the acquaintance of someone who is an amazing spinner, and she has offered to help me learn, which I am excited about.

When I craft, I am focusing my will and intent and putting my energy into the action of creation. When I share my craftwork with my family and friends, I am sharing my energy and intention with them. I see this as the very essence of magic. It is the deepest gift that I can offer them, a piece of my own Self. Because of this I think that these activities can be as sacred and as magical as a ritual. For me, there is no separation.

In closing, I would like to give a shout out to the lovely ladies of Demeter's Garden: Tulip, Magnolia, and Beiv (the aforementioned spinner). I raise my horn to you three: Thank you for making time and space for crafting in our area via 'Crafting the Craft'!

Adventures in Meadmaking 2014

So I had planned to go out today. I was going to meet a friend for coffee this morning and then go grocery shopping. The weather had other plans, however, and since I'm not too keen on wrecking my car or myself, turns out that I am home-bound today. I love my home, so this isn't an issue. So after perusing on the interwebs and managing to raid my freezer and pantry to come up with something yummy to make my husband for dinner (who is working today in this horrible weather and forgot his lunch), I thought, Self, what can we do today that would be productive but enjoyable?

Well, Self, I answered, there is that gallon of strawberry mead that needs bottling... So I lugged my gallon carboy and enameled soup pot upstairs, pulled out my corker, empty + clean bottles, corks, and siphoning pump and tube, and I bottled my strawberry mead.

I'm trying to remember when I started this batch, and I want to say it was in late May or June 2013, when the strawberries were really abundant around here. I really need to start writing this shit down. Anyhow, if my memory serves, there's about 3 lbs of strawberries along with 3 lbs of local red bamboo honey in this mead. The color is absolutely beautiful. It was very red when I first put it on to ferment, and now it is a deep amber color. I would post a picture, but the camera on my phone is not working after the latest software update, and I need to charge my actual camera because the battery is low. Sorry to disappoint. You can smell and taste the strawberry. I'm very happy about that. The mead is still young, though, and needs to age for a bit longer. What I mean when I say that is that it has the sharpness of a young wine. As it ages that particular flavor mellows and it smooths out. I think it's going to be very good come summertime.

Anyway, I made this mead in honor of Freya, and the yeast fermented so violently (likely from the high amount of sugar between the fruit and the honey) initially that it blew the cork and the airlock clear across the room. Twice. There was fermented strawberry mash everywhere. I'm still finding it in little patches in places on the basement floor under the stairs (which is where I keep my fermenting mead batches as well as the finished bottled stuff).

And so comes the difficult question of what to brew next? Here's some possibilities:

Blood Orange Mead
Lemon Ginger Mead
Chai Mead
Blueberry Lavender Mead (that's a springtime/summertime batch, methinks)

Thoughts? Votes? Comment below!

B is for Baron Samedi (PBP 2014)

So we're taking a large step sideways this week from the topics of runes and the Northern Traditions and dipping our toes into a very different tradition: Vodou. Let me preface this entry by stating the obvious: I am not a trained practitioner of Vodou and do not claim any kind of expert knowledge on this topic whatsoever. My interest in Vodou stems from my deep love of and personal connection with the city of New Orleans, and much of what I have learned about American Vodou comes from my visits to that city and learning about their culture. If any of the following information is incorrect, please accept my humblest apology and feel free to correct me in the comments section below.

Baron Samedi (also Baron Saturday, Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi, or Bawon Sanmdi) is one of the Loa of Haitian Vodou. The word 'Samedi' means 'Saturday' in French. He is a Loa of the dead, along with His other aspects: Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix, and Baron Kriminel. He is one of the Guédé family of Loa. In Haitian Vodou, the Guédé (also spelled Gede or Ghede) are the family of Loa that embody the powers of death and fertility. Fete Ghede is on November 2, the Festival of the Dead. All boons granted by the Ghede must be repaid by this date, or is it said that They will take Their vengeance on you.

The Baron is connected to and is sort of a darker aspect of Papa Ghede, who is the father of the Guédé. Papa Ghede is said to be the corpse of the first man who ever died. He is recognized as a short, dark man with a high hat on his head who enjoys smoking cheap cigars and eating apples. He is a psychopomp who waits at the crossroads to take souls into the afterlife. If a child is dying, Papa Ghede is prayed to, because it is believed that He will not take a life before its time, and that He will protect children from death. Like the Baron, Papa Ghede has a very crass sense of humor. He also possesses a divine ability to read others' minds, and the ability to know everything that happens in the worlds of the living and the dead (Source: Wikipedia entry on the Guede)

Back to the Baron. His wife is the Loa Maman Brigitte (yes, She is connected with St. Brigit, who is the protector of crosses and gravestones). He has particular links to magic, ancestor worship and death. The Baron is notorious for his rowdy behavior, swearing continuously and making dirty jokes. He is usually depicted with a top hat, black tuxedo jacket, and dark glasses. Sometimes He will also have cotton plugs in His nostrils, resembling a corpse dressed and prepared for burial in the Haitian style. The Baron is often portrayed as having a skull-like face.

(Veve of Baron Samedi. A veve acts as a "beacon" for the Loa and will serve as a Loa's representation during Vodou rituals.)

In addition to His role as master of the dead, Baron Samedi is also a life-giver. It is said that He can cure any mortal of any disease or wound (if he thinks it is worthwhile to do so). His powers are especially great when it comes to voodoo curses and black magic. Even if someone has been hexed, they will not die if the Baron refuses to dig their grave. He also ensures that all corpses rot in the ground to stop any soul from being brought back as a brainless zombie. His preferred colors are black, white, and purple, and He is said to particularly enjoy offerings of cigarettes, cigars, rum, and black coffee. (Source: Wikipedia entry on Baron Samedi)

Here are some pictures of an altar to the Baron I took while at Voodoo Authentica in New Orleans in October 2013. You can click on them to see more detail/blow them up. By the way, if you ever have the chance to go to NOLA, definitely check out their shop. We found both the energy and the staff to be lovely. My husband and I brought dolls of the Baron and Maman Brigitte back to Pittsburgh with us. They were proudly on display for our Halloween/Samhain/Day of the Dead hootenanny this year (which was appropriately on November 2).

And, just for fun, here's some pictures from the The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum and of the reputed tomb of Marie Laveau in St. Louis Cemetery #1:

B is for Berkano (PBP 2014)

Berkano (pronounced bear-kawn-no; meaning: Birch goddess) is the second rune of the third aett of the Elder Futhark. We are still within the first aett within 'Taking Up The Runes' so again, I am jumping forward.

A number of years ago, I helped co-lead a Beltane ritual for my CUUPS group, and as part of the ritual, the participants were gifted with a rune to take home and meditate on. Berkano was the rune that they were given. I purchased green glass pebbles at a craft shop (you know the ones that come in a big bag and are available in a zillion colors that you can use decoratively to fill lamps or vases) and used gold metallic permanent marker to draw the runes on the pebbles. One of the wonderful things about runes is that they are so simple to make, and you can make them out of so many different things...in a pinch, tearing up some paper and marking them with a pencil or pen will do the trick. I may do a blog entry about rune-making later in the alphabet. But I digress...

Berkano represents birth, growth, rebirth, renewal, fertility, pregnancy and motherhood, the womb, healing, and sanctuary. Its shape is reminiscent of the pregnant belly and breasts of a woman's body. I have always associated this rune specifically with the goddess Frigga, the All-Mother, wife of Odin, because Her tree is the birch. Others feel that it could represent many of the goddesses within the Northern Tradition, including Idunna, Freya, Nerthus, and even Ostara/Eostre. Edred Thorrson calls Berkano a rune of the Earth Mother, saying it reveals the mystery of the perpetual cycle of birth, death, and rebirth from the womb of the Goddess who rules over rites of passage.

Berkano can be used to make a protective amulet for a pregnant woman by taking a charm such as a stone, clay, or a piece of wood (a piece of birch wood would be especially appropriate), engraving it with the rune, and charging it in the name of Frigga.

A is for Algiz (PBP 2014)

Our group has not yet gotten to Algiz, so I'm jumping ahead a bit for the sake of the alphabet; however, I have worked with this rune before. Algiz ("all-yeese"; Elk, protection) represents protection (of both self and others), a shield, defense, warding, a guardian. Algiz is the rune of the Valkyries. It can also represent the higher self, connection with the Gods, divinity, and awakening.

I often refer to Algiz as, "The chicken foot of protection."

The website Rune Secrets says this about Algiz:

"The spiritual force, hamingja, generated by Algiz envelops the invoker with so much energy that he or she becomes sacred, set apart and protected by Divine power. The image of the Valkyrie in mythology is fully representative of the way in which the energies of Algiz work to protect you. Meditating on the image of a Valkyrie in her teacher, swan and warrior forms is a powerful method of invoking Algiz energy."

Hamingja (old Norse: "luck") is the personification of the good fortune or luck of an individual or a family. For more information about hamingja, check out The Parts of the Self at Norse Mythology.

A is for Ansuz (PBP 2014)

Greeting and salutations, my darlings.

So for the past two years I have tried (admittedly it's been somewhat half-hearted) to do the Pagan Blog Project. And I usually end up falling off somewhere shortly after it gets started because I get behind due to the insanity of my life and never manage to catch up. Hopefully 2014 will be different, because I do really want to do it.

One of the things that happened in 2013 is that I became a leadership team member of my local CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) group that I have been attending for many years now. I have a lot of love for that group, and I had a lot of concerns about where I saw it headed and a willingness to invest my time and energy in helping promote its growth in a positive direction, and I guess those things combined together resulted in me being asked to serve as a LT member. BTW, we have a Facebook page, so please "Like" us, and if you're in the Pittsburgh area, come and check us out! We have some awesome things planned for 2014!

On a whole other note, I have been exploring and learning about the Northern Traditions for probably about 5 years now, after ol' One Eye made it abundantly clear to me that I belonged with Him and His and that it was not optional. I've now worked with His son for awhile and will continue to do so, because, well...Thor is awesome, and He's extremely easy to talk to and interact with, at least in my experience. His father, on the other hand, kind of gives me 'fraidy pants, probably because when He communicates with me, either directly or indirectly, I can sense that the Big Ol' Changes are a'coming, and being very much an earthy Taurus...Idunlikethat. Anyhow, to make a long story short, one of the things the Allfather communicated to me in 2013 was that I really needed to get off my ass and start seriously studying the runes, specifically learning galdr. This, however, posed a problem: it wasn't really something I wanted to do alone, as I've done a lot (to be read: most) of my learning over the years. Fortunately, there were a couple other fabulous pagan lady friends of mine who had close encounters with some of the Northern Folks (one with Odin, and one with Hel) who were also interested in studying the runes, so we joined forces and started a group. We are using Diana Paxson's book Taking Up The Runes, but also utilizing other resources as well.

Which brings us to this blog (sorry it took awhile, when I decide to talk sometimes that happens): I am going to explore the runes through my blog posts for PBP 2014, as it will hopefully serve me in actually doing PBP 2014 in its entirety, and help my study of, connection with, and personal understanding of the runes.

So, without further ado...A is for Ansuz

Ansuz (pronounced AHN-sooz, meaning: A God, or Mouth) is the fourth rune of the first aett (set of 8) of the Elder Futhark. Ansuz represents communication, wisdom, knowledge, consciousness, intelligence, reason, and air/breath. I think Ansuz is also about creating order, about analyzing and making sense of things, of putting our observations and feelings into words and the understanding of that stuff. For me personally it also speaks of listening, as this is a huge part of communication, particularly listening to myself. My feeling of this rune is very much Odin. Reading about Ansuz, one of the things I saw was that it represents "passing the breath along the ancestral line," which really resonates with me also. Communication with people I have lost in my life is a very important part of my spirituality. I lost my dad very young, as well as both of my maternal grandparents whom I was very close with later (particularly my grandfather), and I do communicate with them, though that communication is so VERY different than the other ways people communicate. Ansuz represents the vital breath of life that fuels all things and is the beginning of sound and language, and that is Odin's gift to us.

From the Voluspa, stanza 19:

Breath they had not, nor blood, nor senses
Nor language possessed, nor life-hue:
Odin gave them breath, Hoenir senses,
Blood and life-hue Lothur gave.