http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hrafnstongradio/2013/06/12/the-magickal-home

And then to the page with the quotes I used;

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/marcus-aurelius/

But as parents we can not shoulder all the blame for this. The last few decades have seen the shifting of roles in society, men, no longer the sole breadwinners nor the sole wielders of power in society, have lost their bearing and place in society. And with so many groups focused on the raising up and educating of women, it seems that men have just become an afterthought.

So what can be done? Well we can begin on the path towards redefining manliness in the modern world. I have said for many years that there are three generalized subsets that we can lump men into. Boys, Guys and Men.

Boys are the pre-pubescent men of society. They are young and therefore not expected to act like adults. In fact in many cases they are encouraged, either directly or indirectly (ie boys will be boys),  to be young and carefree.

Guys are boys as adults. These are the ones we see in the commercials, the videogame addict the buffoon.

And then we come to the modern conundrum that is men. The puzzle that is the thrust of this article.

• Men are those who make decisions, instead of wallowing in indecision or apathy.

• They finish the tasks that they take upon themselves. And out of a sense of responsibility, not requirement..

• They are the Fathers who are present and try to make a difference in their children’s lives. Through marriage or divorce.

• Men are those who share their strength and try to make a positive change in the world around them.

• But men do not abuse others with their strength, only help them to grow.

Now I know this is a very brief list but it is one that focuses on the general outline instead of anything specific, so that it can apply to the category instead of the individual. And I know that these are the many of the very same traits that so many are focused on teaching to young girls. Yet how many of these traits are taught to our young men?

As Pagans we need to be about balance and not just in our Faith and rituals but in our whole lives. Whether we are a single mom raising up boys, or a single father raising up girls or any other combination. So take some time to talk to the young men in your lives and try to show them a better way to be, then what is showed on TV and other forms of popular culture.

Thoughts?

Blessed Be!

To start we must begin to define what this means. A strong family is one that can withstand all that life throws at it and withstand by rallying together to face the world as an unified front. A spiritual family is one that shares spiritual moments. You will notice that I didn’t say worship together, this is because even if the family members share different faiths, spirituality can be shared. Whether it is a small moment of silence, for individual prayers, before meal time or in the morning before the day begins. Or it is a camping trip where the family can share in the wonders of Creation, spirituality transcends an individual’s faith.

So what can a family do to begin building a strong and spiritual family? Well, here are some suggestions.

• Write down what you think a strong and spiritual family looks like. To reach our goals we must have them clearly defined.

• Build a Family Altar. Whether it is a Pagan one or one that is more about the spiritual moments the family shares, it will still serve as a focal point for the family to gather around.

• Spend time with each other. And not just as a family, each parent should have time with each of the children individually as well.

I know this is far from a complete list, so if you have any suggestions, then please leave me a comment.

Blessed Be!

This may be the most important item on the list of what defines a Pagan Household because of the idea of immanent deity. That our Gods are around us all the time, as part of everything. But for us it should go beyond this to explaining this concept to our children.

We can do his by pointing out the wonder in the smallest of things. From sprouting a seed in a clear sandwich bag, so that they can see Life is present even in the smallest of things. To slicing an apple so that they can see the five-pointed star in it. To taking the time to observe the natural world and watching the play of the birds and especially now,at this time of the year, their nests and their young.

The more you find the wonder in the small things the easier it will be for kids to grasp the idea that Goddess and God can be found everywhere. Yes there is a scientific process for seeds to sprout and mathematics to explain the patterns in the natural world, but who’s to say that Deity isn’t in there causing things to happen?

So as we go forward spend some time honoring deity as a family.

And, oh yeah, if you have any tips on honoring deity, please share.

Blessed Be!

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For the last couple weeks there has been an idea for an article rattling around in my head. But I have been having a hard time trying to nail down the specifics, so I’m hoping that this makes sense. And for the record my oldest daughter is now thirteen, so I have limited experience with teenagers, except of course for the time that I was a teenager myself, of course.

Our children come into this world crying and in desperate need of us. Then they slowly begin the circle of life, in which they steadily draw away from us. To where at the teenage years, they seem to be the farthest away from us. Now of none this should worry us, especially since this is a completely natural cycle. But as any parent, of any teenager, can attest, this can be a trying time. We are struggling to be parents and retain control (because that’s what we are supposed to be doing, right?) while our children are struggling to break free and become their own person.

So what can we do this make this transition easier? For me it started very early. As I have said for many years, it is not my job to raise kids. Instead I am tasked with creating adults. Because isn’t that the goal of a successful parent? To turn our children into adults? And if this is our goal then why do we struggle to hold on so tightly to our teenagers? To stop them from being adults and making their own mistakes.

Now the age for this ‘letting go’ will vary from child to child. In my house we talk about tribal council, the adults, and the time when the children will be old enough to be privy to the decisions and budgeting and adult conversations that any relationship must have in the running a household. And when they will be old enough and able to begin to help make those decisions. This will teach them about budgeting and simple things like filling out an envelope. And of course this will most likely be different for each of my daughters.

Yet you also have to look at the legal responsibilities that we have as adults. We can’t let our children be complete adults, so throwing out curfew and school requirements are a no go. But if you approach them like adults and engage them in an adult conversation and explain the restrictions that you, as adults, have on you, then it is likely that the conversation will go better then just laying down ultimatums.

A few years ago, I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. And if there is one thing that I took away from this book (and I took many things from it), is a question that he would ask the parents of teenagers. “How do you see your son/daughter?” And many people continued to see them as little kids. The same kids that they would lay down rules and punish with groundings and timeouts. It was when they began to see their children as teenagers, that the relationship between parent and child began to change.

In other words if you realize your child is now a teenager (a proto-adult) and begin to interact with them on this level, from one adult to another, then your relationship with them can begin to blossom.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Blessed Be!

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

Epicurus

Third on my list of defining a Pagan Househould is; Being self-sufficient and confident in our own abilities. Both magickal and mundane. 

Lately I have been truly embracing this in trying to expand my garden and focus on more local shops. OK maybe buying local isn’t exactly self-sufficient but it does support a system that can last much longer than the large corporations, so it’s close. But this line also is about learning new skills, from knitting and crocheting to a new language. From gardening and preserving that food to just being in better shape.

And for the magickal side of this; When was the last time you really returned to the basics? Dropped off all the newer trappings and approached your faith as someone who is new and full of wonder at experiencing it all for the first time. Or made a concerted effort to return (or start for the first time) a daily practice of meditation, praying and journaling?

The whole point of this is to stress the importance of reducing the size of our footprint in the physical world and increasing it in the spiritual. To stepping away from the drive to have and into the essence of just being. Of focusing only on today’s problems and just living.

Thoughts?

To begin let us draw an analogy, between our soul, the seat of our spirituality and a garden. And between our spirituality and an ivy. Left unchecked and untended an ivy will send vines into everything in the garden and choke out all the other life. I’ve even watched it slowly pull plants out of the ground. Our spirituality and that of our children is much the same.

If we do not cultivate our children’s, or our own, spirituality then we run the risk of destroying the garden. This is why I always say that we should teach something to our children. Whether it be our faith our just simply a basic spirituality. Both will help our children to have strength when they go into the world and face all manners of faiths.

And this returns us to our first article in this series We are all Clergy. If we are teaching our children our faith, or at the very least a basic spirituality, then do we not fill the role of a clergy?

Now I know I haven’t addressed the multi-faith household in this article, but I would love to hear about how you have made it work in your own household.

Blessed Be!

courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

There is not just one way to connect to the Earth. For example, those of us in the suburbs or the more rural areas, it is important for us to try and raise some of our own food. To become more sustainable. Yet not all of us have a green thumb and what about those in the more urban areas? So the question remains, how can a modern Pagan, wrapped in the minutiae of daily life, find a way to connect with the Earth?

As in magick it is the intent that counts. How often do you recognize the presence of the Gods in the land around you? Or reach out and feel the energy around you? If we look for Nature and the wonders that it presents to us, then we can begin to get connected with the Earth and the Gods that inhabit it. In the city this could be a single flower growing up through the concrete, a reminder that nature will always win. In the less urban areas it can be kind of hard to miss nature but look for the smaller mysteries. The things that we take for granted and overlook.

This being said, there are still many benefits in just getting out into the wild places. Of reconnecting and looking for the Old Gods there.

But finding and recognizing this connection is not enough, a Pagan Household needs to reduce their footprint and honor it, as much as we can. From growing what food we can grow and buying local all the way to recycling. All small things by themselves but together they will not only to help lessen the damage to the planet, it will help to strengthen our connection.

So this week I challenge all of us to get outside and reconnect with Nature. And while you can share your stories here, I would love to see them over on the Village.

Blessed Be!

courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Yes that’s right we are all clergy. Now if you are scratching your heads then please read on and I promise to make more sense. Let us start by defining what I mean by clergy. Clergy are those people that act as a intermediary between us and the Gods, while helping to teach us how to be self-empowered. Even if it is ourselves alone, when we enter into that ritual state we are then acting as clergy.

But as parents we are more than that. Our families look to us to guide them through both the individual rituals and the Wheel of the Year. To help them through the different trials and tribulations that we all face throughout the year. Much like normal parents, yet in Paganism there is the added responsibility of empowering our children to find their own ways to the Gods and in the long run become their own clergy.

This is the most essential key to a Pagan House. That we are all clergy to our households and are there to not only foster spirituality but to empower our children to find their own. This being said I want to spend some time, over the next few weeks, going into how this idea applies to my list of what a Pagan Household looks like.

• The connection to the Earth and the responsibility for it that comes with that connection

• Raising up the next generation in our Faith

• Being self-sufficient and confident in our own abilities. Both magickal and mundane

• Honoring Deity in all the things that we do

• Building a strong, peaceful and loving family

So I hope you tune in and share your ideas on what a Pagan House looks like.

Blessed Be!

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I think we all know what affirmations are, those little phrases that we use to effect change both in ourselves and in the world around us. Usually said daily, the idea is to create a sympathetic link and by it bring about the things we are saying the affirmations for. Affirmations also help us to remember those things that we want to change and as such spur us towards making them a reality.

With 2013 here and the traditional time of resolutions as well, it is a good time to start some affirmations for this year. While I am still working on mine I figured I would share a few that I have heard over the years.

The Five Reiki Principles

Just for today, I will not be angry
Just for today, I will not worry
Just for today, I will be grateful
Just for today, I will do my work honestly
Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing

One from a good friend of mine

There is enough in the Universe to go around and everyone gets a generous share

What kind of affirmations do you use? Or are planning on using to make 2013 a fantastic year?

Blessed Be!

courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

I hope you all had a great Yule and a equally blessed New Year. We had a quiet one with a lot of rest and thinking about the upcoming year, which of course is already here.

But before I go into 2013 I wanted to look back on 2012. Here at PaganDad there have been a lot of changes and new projects, from blogging frequency to Voices from the Grain. And the page views have been good, rounding at a great year.

On both the Pagan Household and the Pagan Village, there have been a loss of some columnists and the edition of new columnists. Which of course has led to some great articles and some fantastic discussions. Thanks to all the columnists and the readers that stop in to check their articles out.

The community side of the Village has seen growth and the addition of both documents and events for the different groups. And of course there have been some great discussions there as well. So if you haven’t checked it out then please head over, sign up and start building your Tribe. There is a great growing community on there.

Looking forward to 2013 on PaganDad. I have some big plans that I am putting the final touches on. From another revamp of the newsletter (I know that changes more then most politicians but I think you will like the new plans) to further editions of Voices from the Grain. In addition there are some big things, that I am not ready to announce quite yet. But they are a big thing and I think you will really enjoy them. Just stay tuned.

On the Village we are planning regular sitewide chats as well as hoping for a drastic increase in membership.

But none of this could or can happen without all of you. So I wanted to wrap up today’s post by saying a big Thank You! to all of you. Whether you are reader or columnist or both. Here’s to a great 2013!

Blessed Be!

Guess I should be sharing the name of this book and the author and all of that. It is called Sabbat Cooking – Yule by Stacy Evans published by Wyrdwood Publications.

Now onto the recipes. In my house we have a very big soft spot for gingerbread, so when my daughter and I saw the recipe for gingerbread pancakes, we both knew that we had to make them. And as always we weren’t disappointed. Of course since we aren’t a fan of all the spices that are normally used at this time of the year, so it wasn’t quite as magickal as it could have been. But they were delicious! We can also recommend the steak pie, very good and good on those cool nights.

Now all of this brings us to dessert, probably my most favorite part of Yule. Of course there are the standard favorites; Bread Pudding and Gingerbread, but the Caramel Corn sounds absolutely fantastic.

So to sum up, be sure to pick up a copy of this book and start some cooking. Whether you get it through Wyrdwood Publications or Amazon. You won’t be disappointed.

Blessed Be!

courtesty of freedigitalphotos.net

I put out a call for article ideas yesterday on my Facebook page and while there were many ideas, some of them have already been talked about on my blog. Part of the problem with my years of archives of posts is that things get lost in there. But there is one that I wanted to talk about today.

Whether or not we should tell our children about Santa and the whole idea of him bringing gifts on Yule/Christmas. The parent was worried about lying to our kids, even though we tell them not lie ourselves.

Yet as I sit down to write this I’m having a hard time deciding on the appropriate course of action would be. But I can say that we still talk about Santa and about La Befana, the Italian Christmas Witch. Although my oldest has reached the point many years ago, that she doesn’t believe she has been forbidden from telling her sister. Of course now her sister, our youngest, is growing up (too fast mind you) and starting to question. Although she told us, very emphatically that Santa is really the Holly King just this past week.

So for us I don’t see the harm in it. There is a difference in lying for gain and to avoid trouble (things our kids get in trouble for) and telling a little white lie to allow our children to grow up with a sense of wonder. And besides do we want our children to be both that “Pagan kid” and the kid who tells everyone that Santa isn’t real? Because unless we raise them in a bubble then they are going to find out about the mythical creatures and beings that we believe and honor during the holidays.

Now all of this being said, there is no harm in telling your kids that Santa really is the Holly King. That way when they reach that age when they stop believing then they can still honor the Holly King for the season.

Thoughts?

Blessed Be!

But I did want to share some advice that I share with students when I teach this kind of class in person. The most important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to do things in Paganism. In fact the only rule that is in any way universal is ‘Harm None’. So if you do the hokey-pokey to cast circle and it works for you, then stick with it. Conversely if something that you are doing is not working, then don’t do it. Find something else that works for you and run with it.

There is no grand God in the sky to impress and you don’t have to worry about impressing other Pagans. Your relationship with the Gods is just that,  your relationship. So if you feel that it is a strong one, then don’t let anyone else tell you different.

As always I am open to questions, even if I lump them together into another post. Hope your week is a great one.

Blessed Be!

Items Needed

• Bowl of Earth
• Bowl of Water
• Feather
• Tea light or votive candle
• Four Candles — Yellow, red, blue, green

Arrange colored candles in a circle around you. Putting the appropriate color candle and elemental representation in each of the quarters.

To start move to the East and wave the feather in front of your face. Take a few deep breaths, then relax for a few moments and reflect on the Element of Air. Feel it in your lungs and on your skin.

Then move to the South and light the tealight there. Study and meditate on the flame, feel your heartbeat and know that you have the fire of life in you as well.

Now move to the Western Quarter and wash your hands and forearms in the water. Reflect on this, look for the water in you and around you.

When you are ready move to the next and final Quarter in your journey today, the Point of Earth. Feel the Earth, let it run through your fingers. Know that you are built with Earth as your foundation.

I know that this exercise can seem simple on the surface, but if you really look for the answers then I think you will be surprised.

Blessed Be!

The world around us is filled with energy. This energy can take many forms, and can have both positive and negative vibrations and effects. You cannot deny that there is a huge difference between a hospital room and a forest glen; between a crowded city and a quiet home. But this does not mean that simply because you live in a quiet home that it is clean of negative energies or even that positive energies cannot be found in a crowded city.
Anger. Stress. Sadness. Life itself and all its chaos can cause discordant vibrations. While purifying an area and restoring the positive vibrations, natural to an area, is essential to good ritual and magickal practice it is also a practical idea for your everyday life. For if you could choose chaos or peace, what would you choose?

Many of the basics things that we learn as a newcomer to Paganism are essential to purifying any space.  From raising energy and being able to direct it as well as visualization are all important. But the most important thing of all is to first purify the self. You need to make yourself a pure, clear and unfettered channel. This is because you must be able to project nothing but positive emotions and vibrations. Calm your mind and let go of negative vibrations and emotions. In your heart there should be naught but love and peace and light. Think also that the more you practice in your daily life the better the world around you will become.

This being said there are many ways to create sacred space, in fact many more then can be included in this book and none are more valid than any other. Whether through sound or scent or through vibrations, it is intent that makes it all work. When going through the following exercises focus your intent and visualize on all the negative energies being washed or brushed away.

Cleansing with Scent

There are many herbs that you can use that are beneficial to cleansing an area. Some of which are used by Native Americans still today. Sage, sweetgrass, tobacco, cedar, lavender or mint are all cleansing herbs. In the sections to follow we will cover these specific herbs in greater detail.

SageBrush

Not to be confused with culinary sage, sagebrush belongs to the Artemsia genus and grows primarily in the Southwest of the Continental United States. It has a thick pungent thick smoke when burned. It is often mixed with sweetgrass and cedar but can be used by itself. It is a transforming herb that helps to facilatate the change from negative to positive.

Sweetgrass

This plant grows across much of Eurasia and North America and has been used by Christians and Native Americans alike. Burned it has a vanilla scent and can be used to purify an area and as an offering to the ancestors. You will most often find this dried and braided but you will sometimes find it mixed with sage and cedar in smudging bundles. It can also be used to enter into a meditative state.

Tobacco

Tobacco can be burnt to bring clarity and also as an offer to the gods and to the spirits. But one needs to be careful with this plant for it can be a two edged sword. It can bring clarity and absorb negativity but used to incorrectly or in excess it can lead to addiction and sickness. It must be used with respect.

Cedar

Cedar is a strong smelling wood that can be burnt as a cleansing and purifying plant. It can be burned with sage or sweetgrass or by itself. The leaves or inner bark is often burnt to cleanse an area after sickness has passed.

Lavender

As tobacco can be used to chase away the negative spirits and vibrations, lavender can be used to welcome the good spirits and vibrations. Medicinally lavender essential oil has been used as a sterilization wash.

Cleansing through Sound

To clear an area, one can ring a bell three times letting the clear sound cut through the negative vibrations let your body resonate with the sound. Know that the sound is chasing the negative energies and spirits out and away from your presence.

Smudging Ceremony

Before smudging it is essential to physically clean the area. This does not mean that you have to scrub the floors and walls but at the least pick up the clutter and maybe sweep or vacuum the floors. Clutter attracts negativity so removing clutter is a necessary first step.

The next step is to use any combination of sage, cedar and sweetgrass in a shell or sturdy bowl and light them. While they are burning fan them with a feather or your hand and waft the smoke over first yourself, over your front and then your back.

Then next carry the bowl or shell around the area to be cleaned and waft the smoke throughout all of the area.

Finally offer the smoke to the seven directions. To the South to the guardians of fire. Then to the North-East to the Ancestors. Next to the West to the guardians of water and across then to East to the guardians of air. Then to the North-West to the guardians of the Earth. Then finally offer it up to Father Sky and then to Mother Earth. If there are others present offer them the herbs so that they can them smudge themselves.

Remember that the herbs alone are nothing but an aid it is up to you to provide the intent and energy. Visualize the smoke cleansing your and the area around you. Now that you have cleansed the area with air and fire now it is time to take water and earth around. Put some sea salt into a bowl of water and swirl it around with the intent that you are creating holy water. Use the water to wash your hands and arms and neck, cleansing yourself first. Then carry this around sprinkling a little water as you go. Remember to cover the same seven directions as before. As before if there are others present then offer them the water so that they may have a chance to cleanse themselves.

Next come through the area with a besom. The besom can be used to sweep an area, whether literally or just magickally, in which the besom nevers actually touches the ground, rather it stays an inch or so above the ground and is used to sweep the old and negative energies.

Now that the area is clean it is a good idea to light some lavender and meditate for a moment. Know that all negativity is gone and naught but good spirits remain. Next you can burn some tobacco and offer thanks up to the seven directions and the guardians of each and to the Goddess and God.

Now your area is clean and ready for any magickal or ritual working that you have planned. Or simply it is a better place to live your life. There is no limit to how often this ritual can be done and it is recommended that you do it regularly, something like once or twice a month or at least as often as you enter into ritual.

This can also be done to cleanse your home and should be done at least twice a year.

Next week we are moving onto casting a circle. Hope to see you then.

Blessed Be!

courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

As I am nearing the end of my third degree studies, I’ve been putting a lot of thought into what it means to be a High Priest. What the roles and responsibilities that come with assuming this mantle are. The result? A series of questions for leaders to constantly ask themselves.

• Who do we serve?
• How can we best serve?
• Are we making an unique contribution?
• Are we improving all the time?

The first question has an easy answer, we serve our Gods by serving the community. Whether it is the community at large or just a small subset of it. So if this is an easy question to answer, then why ask it? So that we are constantly reminded of our purpose as a High Priest or Priestess.

Now that we know who we serve, how can we best serve them? I have seen many groups headed up by a leader that does everything for their group. From hosting and leading every ritual, workshop and meeting, inevitably leading to burnout and dissolution. Maybe in the short term this method of leading best serves the community, but looking at the long game it does nothing but shortchange both the members of the group, but the leader as well.
So what is the alternative? It has been my experience that a good leader takes on the role of a Parent. And no not the helicopter variety, these are all adults here, so no hand-holding necessary. Rather a Priest/ess can best serve their community, like a Parent best serves their children, by lifting-up and empowering them.Now don’t get me wrong this practice is not the only thing necessary for keeping a group alive. Group dynamics, and the managing of them is another very important piece. But if the community is empowered to lead then the groundwork is laid for a long term group.

Now onto the third question, are you making an unique contribution? I think we have all seen it, the groups competing over the same area, holding the same events at the same times only miles from each other. This does not serve the community except to cause division and strife. Now this is not to say that any given area cannot support two groups or that one group can’t become so full of problems that the people are crying for something new. What it does say is that we should strive, as leaders, to foster peace in our communities. Just like a plant does not grow well in a polluted area, people cannot grow and become empowered in a community polluted by stress and derisivness.

This last question may seem to have little to do with community or even with our responsibilities. Yet if we are not learnng more of how to be a better High Priest/ess then how can we hope to continue to serve our communty as it grows? But our continued training shouldn’t be only on community themes, we should focus on personal projects as well. If we fail to feed our own soul then we face the threat of burnout.

I would love to hear your thought, experiences or stories on this topic. Am I wrong in my thoughts?

Blessed Be!

Energy Exercises

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Have you ever noticed that it gets a little warmer, or time seems to speed up with you get into a discussion with one or more people? Have you ever wondered why deep thoughts sometimes manifest themselves in the physical world? This is due to the energy that is all around us, and emanates from all living things. Once we learn to tap into this natural energy, we can begin to use it to help manifest our needs and desires.

To start, I thought we would go back to the basics: the energy ball. You will need to sit and still your mind some place quiet. Relax your mind and body. Take several deep breaths and be sure to ground yourself by placing your palms on the floor and allowing any tensions and worries to flow into mother earth. Be sure to sit in a relaxed, comfortable position so as not to constrict blood flow to any part of the body. When you are ready, place your hands (vertically) in front of you, and imagine blue light streaming from your fingertips, slowing turning into a ball shaped mass. Make it as big or as small as you feel necessary.
When you are ready, take the ball into your right hand: feel the flow of the energy and the heat it gives off.

After a few moments, take it from your right hand and place it into the left. Does it feel any different? Did it get smaller? Bigger? Can you still feel the heat? Take note of any and all changes (even if they seem insignificant). When you are ready, place the ball back into both palms, and feel the energy being absorbed back into your body. When the ball has completely dissolved, place both hands palm down and give any excess energy back to mother earth.

Practice this technique a few times to get a feel for it. When you are ready, we will try a slightly advanced method of energy play: the cone of power. The cone of power is a practice used by many witches in circle as a way to assist the spell with personal energy, to send healing energy to a person or group of people, and to send energy back into mother earth. This method is fairly simple but requires a bit more energy than the previous. Once again, you will need to sit and still your mind in a quiet, relaxing place. Take several deep breaths and ground yourself by placing both hands palm down on the ground until you feel all the tension and worries of the world leave. Once ready, stand upright (be sure not to lock your knees) place your hands (horizontally) about 6 inches in front of you, and imagine that same blue light streaming from your hands, spiraling into an upside down ice cream cone shaped mass. Imagine it spinning clockwise and upward. Can you feel it getting warmer? Faster? Can you sense it building into the cone shape?

Continue to build the cone until you feel ready to let it go. Once ready, lift your hands to the sky and feel the energy release. In ritual, this energy would be directed toward a specific goal, but in this case we will direct it to Mother Earth. Once you have felt the cone completely dissipate, you will once again place the palms of your hands onto the ground to release any excess energy you may be holding. Notice how, after grounding, you start to cool down and return to that “normal” state? Once you learn to sense and control these energies, you become more receptive to them, and you will notice a change in how your mind and body feel while raising energy.

Grounding

Grounding is a very important part of any ritual. Grounding can be best described as the release of energy from within and giving it back to the universe. This can be something incorporated into everyday life, not just for ritual practice. Have you ever a day where you didn’t quite feel right? Like your head was stuck in the clouds? Have you noticed that your energy levels differ on a day to day basis? As magickal beings, we must learn to be in tune with our bodies, as well as our minds and spirits. Daily grounding rituals can help to stabilize our mindset and help to revitalize our bodies. Once we clear out the unneeded energies we carry, we can begin to build a stronger connection with Mother Earth. Here is a good example of a daily grounding ritual. It’s very simple, and can be done in a few moments at the start or end of your day:

Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit and relax your mind. When ready, focus on breathing. Listen to the sound of your breath. Begin to feel the world slip away. Continue like this for a few moments, and when you feel ready, place your palms to the ground and feel the energy flow from your body through your hands and into the earth. Feel all the worries, all the frustration, all the tensions flow out of your body and into the earth. When you feel ready, give thanks to Mother Earth in any way you see fit, remove your palms and stand. You should feel more relaxed, calm, and ready to face the day. After a few grounding sessions, you may feel your connection to the earth strengthening. It will become increasingly easy for you to tap into these energies, and to release them as well.

Blessed Be!

But these stories just don’t stop there, they include life lessons, which seem to be centered on the Nine Noble Virtues. But don’t worry the books are not preachy or condescending. Instead they tell us a story that illustrates the virtue and allows the girl at the center of the story to come to the realization, at the same time as we do, to the moral of the story.

For example in Holly the Hasty Witch, first in the series and the one about Yule. Holly goes through a disturbing experience where the Sun doesn’t return and her friends have spent year without it, while Holly doesn’t remember that. As Yule morning, and the nighttime vigil, comes again Holly is reminded about how she never holds true to her promises and the similarities between that and the broken promise of the Sun returns.

So if you have little Pagan girls, I would highly recommend. Not having sons I can’t vouch for them although I can imagine that they would get something out of these stories as well. They are well written and full of great information.

Interested? Then head over here and pick up a copy.

Blessed Be!