Piece of Winter, © 2005-2006 fangedfem at deviantART

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:34 AM | Comments (0)

With a few weeks yet until Yule, Winter Solstice, we truly are living the darkest days of the winter, a fitting time for the soul's journey into darkness to discover the mysteries it holds, begun at Samhain, to honor death as part of the circle of life, and to look forward to the return of the Sun to warm our cold and turn our nights into days. As we prepare to say goodbye to November, we also prepare to day goodbye to the darkness. Mysterious Scorpio has yielded to the optimism of Sagittarius. The excitement that hangs in the air is just as palpable for Pagans and Wiccans who recognize something of our own in all of the holiday trappings and look forward, too, to the birth of our God, the Sun.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:31 AM | Comments (0)

Did you know that the Peace sign is a Satanic symbol? Yea, me neither.

The Pagan blogosphere is abuzz with the story of a woman in Colorado, Lisa Jensen, who is getting hassled because she hung a holiday wreath in the shape of a Peace sign on her house. The president of her homeowners association, Bob Kearns, seems to think that it is a pagan "anti-Christ sign" and is Satanic. When the homeowners committee refused to force Jensen to remove her wreath, Kearns fired them all. Lisa Jensen said "she put up the wreath to honor the biblical call for peace and goodwill toward men." Sounds pretty Christian to me.

If this guy Kearns has his knickers in a twist over a wreath, I think that Global Orgasm for Peace might just make his head explode.

The First Annual Solstice Synchronized Global Orgasm for Peace was conceived (my puns are always intended) by Baring Witness, the group who stage peace protests of naked people spelling out words and symbols, to effect positive change in the energy field of the Earth through input of the largest possible surge of human energy: a Synchronized Global Orgasm. This is intended to be the first of a series of annual events leading up to the December Solstice of 2012, when the Mayan Calendar ends with a new beginning.

The intent is that the participants concentrate any thoughts during and after orgasm on peace. The combination of high- energy orgasmic energy combined with mindful intention may have a much greater effect than previous mass meditations and prayers.

The goal is to add so much concentrated and high-energy positive input into the energy field of the Earth that it will reduce the current dangerous levels of aggression and violence throughout the world.

Global Orgasm is an experiment open to everyone in the world.

We hope the results will register on the worldwide monitor system of the Global Consciousness Project.

Watch this video to learn what it's all about. The event is planned for Winter Solstice Day, Friday, December 22nd, "at the time of your choosing, in the place of your choosing and with as much privacy as you choose."

I think it's fascinating that The Global Consciousness Project at Princeton University, has proven that human consciousness can be measured to have a global effect on matter and energy during widely-watched events such as 9/11 and the Indian Ocean tsunami. There have also been measurable results during mass meditations and prayers.

The Zero Point Field or Quantum Field surrounds and is part of everything in the universe. It can be affected by human consciousness, as can be seen when simple observation of a subatomic particle changes the particle’s state.

The Global Consciousness Project runs a network of Random Event Generators (REGs) around the world, which record changes in randomness during global events. The hope is that "a huge influx of physical, mental and spiritual energy with conscious peaceful intent not only will show up on Princeton’s REGs, but will have profound positive effects that will change the violent state of the human world."

I'm in. I even downloaded The Global Orgasm Official Countdown Widget. Now, I wonder what we can do about Bob Kearns.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 12:41 PM | Comments (2)

I hadn't been paying attention but a major astrological event occurred today: Jupiter entered Sagittarius. Jupiter only moves its station once a year, so this significantly affects the influences we will feel into December 2007.

Jupiter's effects are to expand our experiences, our knowledge, and our understanding. Jupiter represents optimism, growth, generosity, joy, and abundance. In Scorpio, Jupiter expanded our awareness of our intimate relationships, personal power, and coping skills. Sagittarius' focus is, of course, different than Scorpio's area of expertise.

Jupiter's transit through the sign that it rules, fiery Sagittarius, urges us to increase our cultural and spiritual awareness, to expand our higher minds, to broaden our experiences, and to have faith in the universe. As Jupiter moves through Sagittarius, we deepen our interest in philosophical, and perhaps religious, thought, and determine what it is that gives us joy--what truly is important in our lives in the long run. We trust in something higher than us, and this gives us a sense that we are doing the right thing and that we are spiritually protected--"things will work out" is the overall attitude now.

Cafe Astrology has more, including how Jupiter in Sagittarius affects each particular sign.

With everything lately seeming to be moving into Sagittarius the mood feels lighter and I, for one, couldn't be happier. I do well with Fire and for me the energy that Sagittarius brings is a welcome change. I could use a little joy and abundance; this past year has been intense and difficult. It's nice to think of looking outwardly to expand into the world after so much time spent looking inward.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:40 PM | Comments (1)

It's Wednesday night, everything closed early, and most people are where they are going to be for the holiday or baking whatever they are going to take to whatever relative's home they will visit tomorrow to eat turkey and stuffing. Me? I'm sitting at home watching old episodes of television on Tivo and listening to music.

The song that is running through my head (and would be running on my iPod if only iTunes carried it) is the version of Courage by The Tragically Hip sung by Sarah Polley on the Sweet Hereafter soundtrack.

Courage

Watch the band through a bunch of dancers
Quickly, follow the unknown
With something more familiar
Quickly, something familiar.

Courage, my word
It didn't come, it doesn't matter.

Sleepwalk, so fast asleep
In a motel that has the lay of home
And piss on all of your background
And piss on all your surroundings.

Courage, my word
It didn't come, it doesn't matter
Courage, my word
It didn't come, it doesn't matter
Courage, couldn't come at a worse time.

There's no simple explanation
For anything important any of us do
And yea the human tragedy
Consists in the necessity
Of living with the consequences
Under pressure, under pressure.

Courage, my word
It didn't come, it doesn't matter
Courage, my word
It didn't come, it doesn't matter
Courage, my word
It didn't come, it doesn't matter
Courage, couldn't come at a worse time.

lyrics by The Tragically Hip

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:36 PM | Comments (7)

Once again, Scorpio has a role to play as we get a New Moon today. From Cafe Astrology:

At 5:18 PM EST, a New Moon late in the sign of Scorpio occurs. This lunation emphasizes a new beginning in the fixed water sign of Scorpio. It's a time when we can focus on some of the constructive traits of the sign of the Scorpion--passionate, resourceful, focused, probing, deep, and perceptive--and consider how to positively incorporate these qualities into our lives. Scorpio New Moons are generally good for working on our self-mastery skills. We may want to pinpoint the things in our lives that make us feel out of control, such as addictions and debts, and work on freeing ourselves of these emotional burdens. This New Moon cycle is also an opportune one in which to explore what is missing in our lives that leads us to engage in these self-destructive behaviors. This New Moon aligns with good luck Jupiter, but also squares Saturn. This cycle represents an opportunity to rid ourselves of "junk" in our lives--material and spiritual. With this potent Scorpio energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives. The Moon aligns with Jupiter late in the sign of Scorpio at 6:54 PM, giving us a nice lift. Some sort of emotional relief is likely, particularly with regards to our personal lives. Domestic changes and legal affairs are favored, particularly dealings with property and renovations. It's a good time to write, teach, learn, publish, promote, and take tests. Disagreements with others are rare during this period, generally because we are more likely to take the high road than to resort to pettiness.

Spell Work

For any of you who plan to use the Dark of the Moon to perform banishment spells or rituals, you'll want have things wrapped up before 5:18 pm EST this afternoon. One of the symbols for Scorpio is the phoenix, the mythical bird who is consumed in fire and rises again from his own ashes. As I've been talking about Scorpio energy being good for exploring our shadow selves and using our heightened intuition to uncover hidden motivations, what better time to do some spiritual cleansing, to banish some of the psychic gunk that has come up, than at this Dark Moon in Scorpio. Then at the New Moon we can rise like a Phoenix, transformed.

Starsigns: Scorpio © 2006 BloodyBabyBlue at deviantART

There is a small window of opportunity to work New Moon spells using Scorpio's influence. Strictly speaking New Moon magick should be timed to coincide with the exact moment that the Moon is New - 5:18 pm EST. After that time, the Moon will move into its Waxing phase, which is the best time to perform all types of magick for healing, attracting good luck and increasing or advancing things. Some people believe that you shouldn't work any magick while the Moon is void-of-course. The Moon will be void of course from 6:54 pm until 8:15 pm EST, when it makes its move into Sagittarius.

The New Moon in Scorpio, is ruled by Mars and Pluto. Mars' influence brings out strong passions and Pluto shows very strong desires. While we usually think of Venus as the ruler of love, Scorpio makes it possible for us to have an intense merging with another on a deep emotional level. This New Moon could be a good time for working magick to bring truest, deepest love to you, to begin something new. It's also the perfect time to work any magick relating to psychic abilities. Scorpio rules the generative system, the reproduction organs, and the lower spine - our base selves, our root chakra. This is a good time to do healing work for these parts of the body.

After 8:15 pm tonight, the Moon will be Waxing in Sagittarius. Here the Moon stimulates our aspirations for self-improvement and brings a philosophical influence. We're likely to feel intuitive and filled with ideas. Ruled by expansive Jupiter, Sagittarius makes us idealistic and optimistic, animates a need for spontaneous adventure, and fills us with enthusiasm. After all of the dark introspection brought about in Scorpio, the change in tone will feel exhilarating. This is a good time for travel, intellectual affairs, and learning. Sagittarius magick is good for business, prosperity, exploration, physical competitions and good luck. Once the Moon moves into its Waxing phase, it will be an excellent time to perform spells to increase any of these qualities in your life.

Sagittarius rules the hips and thighs. A Waxing Moon is a good time to do healing work for those parts of the body, but I'm thinking that, as Jupiter has expanding qualities and holiday parties are going to be revving up in earnest, I'm going going to concentrate on increasing my will power so that my hips and thighs are not the things expanding!

Correspondences for spell crafting are listed below:

Color correspondences for a New Moon are silver or white. Goddesses with particular New Moon associations are Artemis and Nimue.

Scorpio correspondences:

Ruler: Pluto, Mars
Element: Water
Colors: black, scarlet, dark red, brown
Stones: diamond, obsidian, topaz, ruby, jet
Metal: iron, steel
Herbs: agaric, artichoke, asafoetida, basil, belladonna, blackberry, black-eyed susan, blackthorn, bloodroot, catalpa, cattail, chrysanthemum, cohosh (black and blue), damiana, datura, dogwood, dragon's blood, elder, foxglove, fumitory, ginseng, hemlock, horseradish, lobelia, mandrake, morning glory, nightshade, woody, pansy, patchouli, pomegranate, rye, saw palmetto, toadflax, tobacco, vanilla, wormwood, yew
Trees: holly, blackthorn
Birds: eagle, vulture
Animals: scorpion, wolf, panther

Sagittarius correspondences:

Ruler: Jupiter
Colors: blue, purple, lilac, mauve, indigo, goldred
Element: Fire
Stones: sapphire, lapis lazuli, turquoise, amethyst, topaz
Metal: tin, brass
Herbs: african violet, blueberry, borage, cardamom, cedar, chestnut, cinnamon, cinquefoil, clove, dandelion, dock, echinacea, fig, henna, hyssop, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon balm, lilac, milk thistle, money plant, mulberry, mustard, oak, oak-moss, pine, red clover, sage, sandalwood, sarsaparilla, sumac, tonka bean, vilote, wallflower, yellow dock
Trees: mulberry, vine, chestnut
Birds: eagle, peacock
Animals: mare, lion

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 10:17 AM | Comments (3)

After being in retrograde since October 28th, Mercury went direct on Friday. With Mercury finally moving in a forward direction again we can all breathe a sigh of relief! As Mercury Retrogrades go, this one was a doozie.

As the planet of communication, Mercury in retrograde tends to breed a certain level of confusion. Mercury rules our "lower" mind - how we perceive and interpret information that we receive from our environment, and how we relay that information to others. By extension Mercury also rules any technology that relates to these areas in any way, which is why computers and software have a tendency to go haywire during a retrograde. Decision-making is challenged too, so we often get frustrated and feel confused. There's a reason why a friend of mine likes to refer to this as the "Mercury Retrofuck."

As I've said before, there is a positive side to Mercury Retrograde that tends to get overlooked amidst all the computer failures, flight delays, and warnings against signing important documents or making any important decisions. And that is the opportunity it gives us to reflect and regroup. Taking the time for some introspection will often yield some very important inner revelations. It may not be easy or even advisable to communicate them during a Mercury Retrograde, but you might as well use the energy for something productive instead of hiding in bed with your head under the covers for three weeks.

This past Mercury retrograde happened for the most part in the sign of Scorpio, which made it an excellent period for getting in touch with our instincts, motivations, and "dark" side. This is something most people usually avoid. Our society discourages us from being too emotional and when emotional conflict affects us we're told to ignore it, get over it, or take a pill for it. We tend to push emotions we don't want to deal with deep within us where they get locked into our subconscious. What would benefit us more would be to face these darker emotions, often thought of as the shadow self, and to work with them rather than fighting against them.

As a witch, one can learn how to tap into the shadow self as a source of power. On a more universal level, accepting the shadow self offers a sense of balance and healing. One of the things that Christopher Penczak teaches in his work on shamanic witchcraft is the practice of "distilling" the shadow self. It's a process of manifesting the shadow into consciousness so that you can deal with it and create a healthy relationship with it. Our constant struggle to suppress the shadow lies at the root of many difficulties we create for ourselves. Facing the shadow can be scary but making the effort to do so can bring many aspects of our lives back into harmony.

What the combination of Mercury Retrograde and Scorpio's influence gave us over the past few weeks was a uniquely powerful ability to explore our more intimate and emotional natures and to reflect on how they affect us. Has anyone else felt an increase in sensitivity or "emotional radar" lately?

Mercury will stay in Scorpio until December 8th. Although Mercury is now direct, this Scorpio energy means that we still have some planetary assistance as we think about our "emotional communication" and work to uncover our shadow selves. Mercury in Scorpio seeks truths in all that is hidden. It will help us to probe, observe, and focus our thoughts. Looking for motivations - the more deeply buried the better - satisfies an intellectual need now. And with Mercury no longer in retrograde, we may find it easier to communicate with others about emotional issues that we've uncovered in the process of our work.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 6:13 PM | Comments (2)

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:49 PM | Comments (0)

I know, I know - we're already inundated with holiday decorations and merchandise everywhere we go and we're barely beyond Samhain. In the drug store the other day they were playing the most awful, smarmy Christmas music - it was without a doubt more powerful than syrup of Ipecac.

Still, Yule is the next celebration on the Wheel of the Year and it will be here before we know it. But we don't have to buy into our culture's frenzied slide into the holidays. Instead, we can make the next few weeks a fun, celebratory series of opportunities to get creative, enjoy the arrival of a new season, cultivate a festive atmosphere, and make our Yuletide full of meaning and magick.

We can start with Dorothy Morrison's book Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth as a source of inspiration:

There''s just something magical about the Yuletide season, no matter where you live or who you are. As bright candlelight mingles with the smells of pine and warm cookies and we perform our yearly rituals of song and family gatherings, the spirit of peace and goodwill seems to reach the heart of even the most cynical Scrooge.

In the pages of Yule, Dorothy Morrison presents a wonderful potpourri of holiday lore from around the world and throughout history, along with fun crafts, delicious recipes, even a calendar of celebrations for every day in December.

Learn where the traditions of the season originated. For instance, did you know that the ringing of bells was meant to drive away the demons who inhabited the darkest days of the year? That leaving cookies for Santa mirrors the old tradition of leaving a loaf of bread on the table overnight to bring prosperity in the new year? That the Yule log can be traced back to the ancient Greeks?

Need a recipe for wassail or plum pudding? Tips for your holiday party? Want to make the season special by making your own decorative crafts and gifts? That''s just a sampling of what''s inside.

Best of all, Yule shows that the spirit of the season is universal and, however we chose to celebrate and worship, we can all join together in the spirit of peace, love, and harmony at this special time of year.

This year, you can also celebrate the season with a special Blogickal Yule t-shirt! Soft, 100% cotton, long-sleeve t-shirts printed with a custom Yule design by yours truly. You know how good one of these will look with your favorite flannel pajamas! They also would make perfect gifts for coven-mates and witchy friends (as well as supporting Blogickal - every little bit helps keep the server serving!).

Another way to make this Yule special: Dedicate a Tree. Through TreePeople's “Gift of Life” Tree Dedication program, holiday shoppers can order a gift that will last for generations and benefit the environment. In celebration of an earth-based faith, what could be a better gift or expression of thanks to Mother Earth than dedicating a tree? Instead of killing a tree to decorate your house, why not plant one instead?

I usually dread the winter holiday season. I'm trying to embrace Yule this year with a different attitude and something akin to happy anticipation. Despite my intense disdain for the commercialization of seasonal celebrations in our culture, there is something to be said for planning ahead. I bought some cute gumdrop candles the other day. I'm thinking of making Yule cards (but I'll be happy if I can just get some sent this year). I might even try my hand at making gifts for family and friends. No humbugs here! I'm looking forward to Yule.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 12:47 PM | Comments (1)

In my neighborhood some of trees have lost their leaves, some are still lush and full, leaves as green as the summer time, and others have obligingly changed to a lovely array of autumnal color. What is it with the trees in the city?

For a long time I have believed that it has something to do with pollution; that the exhaust from all of the cars somehow affects the process of photosynthesis, creating an unnatural preservative that keeps the leaves green until they just fall off one blustery day. I have no idea if there is any scientific truth behind this hypothesis of mine.

Has anyone else noticed how the trees in the city just don't behave like the trees in other places? A few weekends ago I went hiking in the Catskills. From one vantage point, looking out over the Hudson Valley, I saw a magnificent display of fall foliage. So many different brilliant hues. It was the quintessential leaf-peeping experience.

So, this is why we get in our cars to drive to the countryside. To see the leaves. That back home in the city are stubbornly refusing to change color. Because of the cars.

Is it that they are as reticent to accept the coming winter as we humans are? Do they fear the scrape of the plow, that will create mountainish landscapes from formerly civilized curbs and sidewalks? Do they dread the constant movement of snow from one place to the other and back again to accommodate our cars and our baby carriages and our bi-weekly offerings of rubbish and recycling?

What, do you think, that little tree in front of my apartment building is thinking right now? I worry a bit about it; it could be more robust. I've thought of sneaking out at some hour when someone is less likely to see what I'm doing and think I'm some crazy person or a drug dealer burying crack for the squirrels to find to bury a protection charm for it, to keep it safe and healthy during the winter. I like my little tree. At the moment it is stubbornly hanging on to every last green leaf it has.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:39 AM | Comments (0)

Inspired by a recent discussion about blogging, pseudonyms, morality and questions of persona, I decided to use The Johari Window to test just how differently people perceive my online and offline personæ.

In her post at Arbitrary Marks, On Blogging Pseudoanonymously, Colleen's primary concern seems to be one of academic honesty. She asks: "If you don’t want your name attached to it, I have to wonder why not?" It's a good and valid question.

Initially, I did create a nom de blog for the purpose of keeping my spiritual pursuit of witchcraft within the context of academic exploration. I wanted to share my experiences and ideas with an interested and sympathetic audience, but I wasn't quite ready to announce to the world that I was a witch. Yes, writing behind a pseudonym afforded me the anonymity I wanted at the time. Although I've recently begun the effort to merge my online and offline identities, I'm not entirely out of the broom closet and, for now, I'm happy to keep my blogging persona somewhat removed from my real-life identity.

What compelled me to undertake this experiment was the question of whether online secret identities do affect our real personalities. Does blogging under a pseudonym, which allows us truly to be whomever we want within the context of the online world, lead to an inevitable infiltration of our own perception of self? And furthermore, how closely does an online persona compare to a real-life, or offline, one? Do I behave differently behind the keyboard than I do in person? How much influence does one persona have on the other?

The Johari Window asks you to choose five or six words from a list of adjectives that you feel best describe your personality. Then, you ask others to choose the five or six words they believe describe you. The results reveal the areas of overlap as the "Arena," the area where others see you differently than you see yourself as the "Blind Spot," and the area where you perceive yourself distinctly differently as the "Façade."

I performed this exercise twice. Each time I chose the same six words to describe myself. In the first exercise, I posted a link on my blog, asking those who know me only through their online experience of me as a blogger to indicate how they perceive me. In the second exercise, I emailed a separate link with the same request to a number of people who know me in person. This yielded two sets of results. I was then able to compare the "Arena" and "Blind Spot" results for my online and offline personæ.

One limitation of using The Johari Window for this kind of comparison is that many of the adjectives pertain to qualities difficult to convey in the context of a blog unless you are writing consistently about personal experiences and feelings for others. For example - patient. I've seen blogs written by new mothers about their experiences raising a child for the first time. Describing the challenges of motherhood would certainly reveal a great deal of patience on the part of the blogger. I write about witchcraft and spirituality. With the exception of a couple of mentions of candles that refused to light during a ritual, I doubt that much of what I write would convey a sense of patience!

The two things I found most intriguing and revealing about the results of the experiment are how much overlap there is in the perception of my two personæ and that the areas where my online persona is different from my offline persona represent qualities I might do well to work on in my daily life.

It would seem that I am writing in a voice that fairly closely mirrors that of my real-life personality. Many of the words that were chosen by those who know me in person were also chosen by those who only know me online (the list of both sets of words are available in the data provided below). In particular, the "Arena" was similar in both exercises. I identified myself as extroverted, intelligent, searching, caring, giving, and idealistic. Both sets of respondents also chose extroverted, intelligent and searching. It was only in the "Arena" from my real-life exercise that people also included caring and giving; this isn't unsurprising in light of the accepted limitations inherent in the selection of adjectives as discussed above. How would someone who doesn't know me in real life experience those aspects of my personality? Certainly, even if it occurred to someone reading my blog that I might possess those qualities, they wouldn't be the most obvious among the possible choices.

One conclusion I drew from the results of this experiment is that my online persona isn't influencing my offline persona enough! Within the safety of my pseudoanonymous blogger identity, I have explored and expressed an increasingly strong spiritual self. Among the words exclusively chosen to describe my online persona were: accepting, powerful, religious and wise. Maybe I should let more people in my real life see the spiritual side of myself that my blog persona projects. Perhaps it's time to come out of the broom closet after all!

Following are the data collected from the two exercises:

My Online Persona:

Dominant Traits

66% of people think that Angela-Eloise is knowledgeable
66% of people think that Angela-Eloise is religious
66% of people think that Angela-Eloise is wise

able (0%) accepting (16%) adaptable (0%) bold (16%) brave (0%) calm (0%) caring (0%) cheerful (0%) clever (0%) complex (0%) confident (50%) dependable (0%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (16%) friendly (33%) giving (0%) happy (0%) helpful (0%) idealistic (0%) independent (16%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (33%) introverted (0%) kind (0%) knowledgeable (66%) logical (16%) loving (0%) mature (0%) modest (0%) nervous (0%) observant (33%) organised (16%) patient (0%) powerful (16%) proud (0%) quiet (0%) reflective (16%) relaxed (0%) religious (66%) responsive (0%) searching (16%) self-assertive (0%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (0%) sentimental (0%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (16%) sympathetic (0%) tense (0%) trustworthy (16%) warm (16%) wise (66%) witty (0%)

My Offline Persona:

Dominant Traits

60% of people agree that [my real name] is intelligent

able (10%) accepting (0%) adaptable (20%) bold (10%) brave (10%) calm (0%) caring (20%) cheerful (10%) clever (20%) complex (10%) confident (10%) dependable (20%) dignified (0%) energetic (10%) extroverted (40%) friendly (40%) giving (10%) happy (0%) helpful (0%) idealistic (0%) independent (20%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (60%) introverted (0%) kind (20%) knowledgeable (10%) logical (0%) loving (10%) mature (0%) modest (0%) nervous (0%) observant (10%) organised (30%) patient (10%) powerful (0%) proud (10%) quiet (0%) reflective (20%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (0%) searching (30%) self-assertive (10%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (0%) sentimental (0%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (10%) sympathetic (10%) tense (0%) trustworthy (30%) warm (20%) wise (0%) witty (20%)

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:02 PM | Comments (0)

We've all heard of the Rorschach inkblot test. Well, now there is an online quiz that uses the inkblot concept to give you insight into your subconcious. How did I fare?

Your subconscious mind is driven most by Imagination

You have a deep desire to use ideas to change the world around you. This drive influences you far more than you may realize on a conscious level.

You love to brainstorm and imagine new possibilities. The world is a fuller, richer place because you can contribute new ideas to any experience. Your natural curiosity inspires those around you and encourages them to come up with ideas they wouldn't have discovered without your help.

Your psyche is very rich; the more you learn about it, the more you will understand who you really are.

I found this at The Witch Within, where you can find a link to the test and a bugmenot.com account if you want to avoid registering to play. Thanks Mama Moon!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:27 PM | Comments (0)

I'm not a political writer and this is not a political blog, so I'll leave the astute and informed commentary to the experts at Daily Kos. However, from the point of view of one who deals with the elements on a daily basis, the winds of change are truly blowing. We witches are not the only ones who felt it!

While voter turnout figures have yet to be calculated, most experts were predicting that this midterm election would yield atypically high numbers at the polls. People are fed up and they proved to themselves and to the-powers-that-be that the citizens of this country can and will step up to make a difference. People all over the country demonstrated that they are ready for some new leadership with Democrats gaining House and Senate seats and governorships, as well as countless local elections. Massachusetts has its first black Governor. The House has its first female Speaker. In 2006 it's about time!

For those of us who have been praying for change, our prayers have been answered. One of my fellow members of the Spells for Democracy group had this to say about election results and the workings we've been doing to exact change:

Some may believe that this is a strictly christian [sic] country, but in reality, it is not. There are many faiths in this country and just as many ways of praying for this country's well-being.

While good people everywhere have been praying to their god to help repair the damage that's been done to our country, to end this senseless war and bring our troops home, and to find the means to provide real financial security for our families, the good witches of Spells for Democracy and others who have joined us have been focusing considerable energy toward accomplishing these things with our "13 Tuesdays" program. We believe that the more people who join to raise energy toward a particular goal or message have a much greater chance of being heard. Imagine the great energy swirling around our country last night as all of the prayers from all of the people combined to effect the change we see today. Despite Mercury Retrograde. Despite faulty voting machines. Despite angry, desperate Republican attempts to keep us from succeeding. The people of this country are strong - all of us, from every faith - and we have spoken.

Today we savor the moment; tomorrow we prepare ourselves to remain ever vigilant and hold our newly elected public servants to the promises they've made to us.

Blessed be.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

This is what happens when you have homework to do and you are PROCRASTINATING (cue Carly Simon). You make up silly acronyms and blog. SAPP=Sunday Afternoon Pretty Pictures

On Friday night I was sitting in my living room while the sun set behind the buildings on my street. I looked over at one of my windows to see this - a series of reflections within reflections - and I had to do my best to capture it with my camera. I'm fascinated with the concept of reflections and how they can yield images within images. This also illustrates how wonderful abstract photography can be and why I find it more intellectually intriguing than abstract painting. With photography, by virtue of the fact that you are capturing the image a "real" thing, you know that what you are looking at is an actual something even if you can't figure out what it is from the way the photo is taken.

Starsigns: Taurus © 2005-2006 BloodyBabyBlue at deviantART

This image is a wonderful illustration I had intended to use for my Full Moon in Taurus post. As a Taurean shoe fiend, I couldn't have found a more perfect personal expression!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 4:20 PM | Comments (1)

There's a little home furnishings and accessories shop that opened in my neighborhood a few weeks ago that has become one of my favorite spots for witchy treats and supplies. I'm sure the owner has no idea.

My first discovery was their selection of 100% beeswax candles in a remarkable array of colors. While they are expensive, beeswax candles are generally acknowledged to be the best to use for candle magick. Given their expense and general rarity, it's often often difficult to find them in enough different colors to perform all spell work. Hudson sells candles in more colors than ANY magick shop I've seen, beeswax or no.

The owner of the shop likes to have a selection of antiques on hand as well as the new items. They carry old, colored Ball jars and antique apothecary bottles - perfect for storing ingredients, potions and other mixtures. They also have a great selection of candle holders, ranging from candelabra that look like tree branches to antique glass pedestals. All quite witchy indeed.

My most recent, and so far favorite, find are the "curious offerings that entice the senses and render the common, uncommon" by Douglas Little of D.L. & Co., Modern Alchemists and Purveyors of Curious Goods. Kookily Victorian, Mr. Little (as he likes to call himself) could not have created a more witchy line of opulent goods if he were trying (not knowing Mr. Little, I'm operating under the assumption that he was not). I bought one of the miniature "rare botanic" candles in Thorn Apple, which sports on its label the latin name datura stramonium. For those of you not quite up on your herbology, datura, also known as jimsonweed, is a flowering plant known for its hallucinogenic properties. It's also highly poisonous. How very Victorian! While a visit to Mr. Little's website (which I highly recommend as it is an experience unto itself) reveals that the essential oils used in the Thorn Apple candles are actually applewood, vetiver, oakmoss and patchouli, I like to think that I could light the candle by my bed at night and be transported into dreamland on a cloud of datura.

Who knows what I might find at Hudson next!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 3:40 PM | Comments (0)

Cafe Astrology has the full scoop on today's Full Moon:

A Full Moon in Taurus occurs today at 7:58 AM EST. Full Moons always pit opposite signs of the zodiac against each other, but also invite us to work to achieve a balance between the opposing energies. The contrast between earthy, practical, peace-loving Taurus and emotional, transformative, crisis-oriented Scorpio comes full bloom today. The Moon in Taurus wants us to find emotional fulfillment through the simple, tangible things in life, while the Scorpio Sun draws our attention to complexities, intangibles, and mysteries. The Full Moon illuminates this conflict between form (Taurus) and transformation (Scorpio), and between collecting (Taurus) and sharing (Scorpio). This is a passionate and creative Full Moon, ripe with possibilities and learning experiences. Intimate relationship matters, such as personal comfort levels and values as well as sexuality, figure prominently now. With the Moon full and bright in the sky, symbolic "illumination" occurs in our own lives. However, these feelings and revelations are emotional ones, as there is a sense of emotions bursting forth into our consciousness. It's time to express ourselves, and to let things out of our systems. Of course, we might want to exercise some care while doing so, knowing that what is coming out of us is not particularly rational as yet. As well, it is wise to exercise patience with others and to be as non-judgmental as possible, as the expression of disappointments is likely now with Neptune figuring strongly in the equation.

There is some informative and powerful stuff to work with here. Is anyone else feeling the effects of this conflict? I know I am. Personally, as a Taurus, I think the Sun's Scorpio energy is creating these conflicts for me during this time of the year, not just at the Full Moon. With the moon illuminating everything today, the issues are brought into particular clarity. What the Full Moon is offering us, though, is the energy to strike the balance and possibly to have a transformative experience that ultimately will fulfill us in a tangible way.

It's also important to remember that Mercury is still in Retrograde, meaning that while we may be doing a lot of processing of emotions, expressing them can be a tricky business. We say things we don't mean or we later change our minds. Think before you speak is certainly the way to go until Mercury goes direct on November 17. If what you have to say has the potential to affect a relationship in a really profound way, do your thinking now and your talking later. On the good side, this Retrograde motion makes it easy to reflect and return, giving us access to information from the past that we might have glossed over the first time around. Maybe some of the "possibilities and learning experiences" will be ones that Mercury is allowing us to revisit.

The Full Moon is the culmination of the Moon’s cycle, and the beginning of the Waning phase. During the two weeks following the Full Moon, the Moon decreases in light. This is a good period for working on ourselves, finalizing things, processing information, wrapping up, and letting go of the things we don’t need any more. With this Full Moon occurring so close to Samhain, the veil is still thin. Call upon the ancestors for their help and guidance as you do this work.

Spellwork

The Full Moon can be an opportune time for casting fertility spells. With this Full Moon in the Earthy sign of Taurus, the time is particularly ripe (pun intended). There are other forms of fertility besides sexual fertility; if a baby is not in your plan, what else would you like to bring into your life? Fertility translates into abundance. Now would be an excellent time to plant seeds for a new job, a new home, anything that will manifest those simple, tangible things that make us feel fulfilled. Any time the Moon is in Taurus is a good time to work magick for love, real estate, material acquisitions, and money. Taurus rules ; now is the time to perform healing rituals for ailments of . It can also be a good time for healing of the throat, neck and ears.

At this time on the Wheel of the Year, the God is deep underground, resting in the rich, dark Earth, waiting for Spring. Use the energy of this November Full Moon in Taurus to let new things take root, to prepare. Things begun now last the longest, tend to increase in value, and become hard to alter. It can be a powerful time for transformation. Strengthen communication with the God or Goddess who is closest to you.

Correspondences

The November Full Moon is known as the Frosty Moon, the Beaver Moon, the Snow Moon and the Mourning Moon. It is sometimes also referred to as the Moon of Buoyancy or the Moon of Resilience, doubtless stemming from the need to stay optimistic and resilient during a long, cold winter. The Celts associated the November Full Moon with Ivy and used its energy for healing, protection, cooperation and exorcism.

Other November Full Moon correspondences:

Deities: Kali, Black Isis, Nicnevin, Hecate, Bast, Osiris, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Skadi, Mawu
Nature Spirits: subterranean faeries
Herbs: grains of paradise, verbena, betony, borage, cinquefoil, blessed thistle
Colors: gray, sea-green
Flowers: blooming cacti, chrysanthemum
Scents: cedar, cherry blossoms, hyacinth, narcissus, peppermint, lemon
Stones: topaz, lapis lazuli
Trees: alder, cypress
Animals: unicorn, scorpion, crocodile, jackal
Birds: owl, goose, sparrow

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

Some of my fellow bloggers at The Daily Scribe sparked a discussion about blogging and online personæ. Making Chutney began with Questions: Secret identities and the bloggers code, wherein he relates the story of a blogger who was recently "outed" by another blogger and asks some interesting questions about the morality of this and of blogging under a pseudonym. Arbitrary Marks responded with her take On Blogging Pseudoanonymously. She brings up an intriguing point about whether writing behind the mask of a pseudonym, giving you a certain freedom to create any persona you like, would begin to affect your real personality. It's an interesting question.

For anyone who is blogging about something that may not be accepted by everyone in our "real" lives it isn't difficult to understand why using a pseudonym is not only morally acceptable but sometimes necessary. But I think it would be both fascinating and revealing to put Arbitrary Marks' question about personality to the test.

One of the commenters to Arbitrary Marks' post referred to The Johari Window. This test was developed in the 1950's to compare how we perceive ourselves with how others perceive us, but can easily be used to compare how we are perceived by those who know us only by our online persona with how we are perceived by those who know us in "real" life. Which brings me to the interesting experiment.

For those of you who know me by reading my blog, I ask you to indulge my "scientific" curiosity by going to this link and choosing the five or six words you think best describe the persona you perceive. I will ask those who know me in "real" life to do the same. Later this week, I'll post the results of the experiment. Thanks!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)

Tonight I begin Christopher Penczak's third degree course, which follows his book The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft.

The book and the class are based on the element of water, the realm of emotion, reflection and healing, just as the first, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft dealt with the element of fire as embodied by light, guidance, and protection, and lighting one's inner fire as a witch, and as the second, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft is based on the element of earth, helping the witch manifest inner sacredness in the outer world through ritual and spellcraft.

Stemming from Christopher's personal quest to explore shamanic traditions and to reconcile them with the modern practice of witchcraft, The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft is a guide for today's witch to learn how to incorporate shamanic techniques and experiences into his or her work. From the introduction:

One of the first definitions I learned of a witch was a "walker between the worlds." But other than casting a magick circle that stands "between the worlds," few witches developed that aspect of the craft. What we call witchcraft and shamanism today are not mutually exclusive, and most likely come from a common root, from a time before we had such divisions and words. They have far more in common than most people suspect. When you strip the cultures away, at the core they seem much the same to me.

The book is designed so that anyone can use it as the basis for a year and a day of study, culminating in a ritual for self initiation into the "art of the shamanic witch."

I'm very excited about beginning this advanced stage of training, dealing as it does with seeking the shadow self and learning how to add this type of spiritual healing to my practice of the craft. Doubtless, as I begin this work, you will see some posts about the things I encounter on my own shamanic journey.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 2:52 PM | Comments (0)

Who has been a spiritual mentor for you during your path? If you do not have one (or even if you do), what motivates you to say on your spiritual path?

My first mentor was my tarot teacher, Susan Levitt. Over the years we've become great friends and she has taught me a lot about tarot, astrology and feng shui.

When I first returned to the Boston area, I met a number of great people at the now defunct Unicorn Books who influenced and helped me in one way or another - tarot teachers, spiritual advisors, and friends. Sharynne NicMhacha, in particular, has been instrumental in helping me learn about Scottish witchcraft, my hereditary path.

A couple of years ago I started formal training in the craft with Christopher Penczak, who initiated me as a Priestess and with whom I continue to study. He is a wise and soulful teacher and I count myself fortunate to be able to train with him through his Temple series of classes.

As for motivational influences, I think they are largely a product of working within a strong and dedicated community. Also, as I experience the development and strength of my skills and abilities, I feel a strong sense of being on the right path. The spiritual nurturing and truth that I have found as a witch certainly motivate me to learn and do more. The wonderful people I have encountered as teachers and friends are examples of the potential that I have to serve in turn.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 5:08 PM | Comments (0)