And June rolls on... (aka My Poor Husband)

And June rolls on...

I'm finally living a hive-free life (hope I didn't jix it), an over my cold and am just dealing with the dregs of allergies. My husband, however- not so much. Last night, we had to go to Urgent Care, because he was having kidney pain. Yep- you guessed it! Kidney stones! So, they gave him a Demerol shot, and a Rx and sent him home with a little cup to pee in. The cup has a screen in it. It's really weird.




I told him he should tweet a photo of the one stone he already has passed. He said that was wrong.I laughed my ass off, and tweeted (of course) to get my friends' thoughts on posting kidney stone photos. These are the responses so far.

JenTucker: @ivyartemisia I'm with your husband on this one
NoixdeeCoco: @ivyartemisia That would be wrong, but I personally think medical stuff is cool. XD So I say rock on. (
bloodrose80: @ivyartemisia DARNIT (Mr. Ivy)!!! TAKE A PICTURE AND TWEET IT!!!!

My favorite is Heathers.
hearsegirl: @ivyartemisia he should have it set in silver and wear it around his neck. I have spoken. how many carats?

I feel so bad for him. He had these once before, in 1997. I also feel a little bad for me. How the hell am I supposed to pack up the rest of the house and get it all moved and sorted out by myself. I took care of all of my hard stuff already, because I figured, Hubby's at home, and can take care of the rest of things this week. And I wanted to just chill and relax a bit, after being so sick. Hah! The Gods laugh at my pre-planning! Screw you, Ivy, with your Virgo-ness! It doesn't matter what you do, after all!

Anyway, he's drinking water like a banshee! I don't know why I said that. It makes no sense whatsoever. But he is drinking a lot of water.

Tonight is the regular Wednesday night extravaganza at my mom's house. Every Wednesday night, my immediate female family and cousins come over to hang out. We take turns cooking every Wednesday- and we all have such different cooking styles, we get to try some different things. Some of us prepare more "foodie" stuff, and some of us (me) sometimes end making bean and cheese burritos! Anyway, its really nice to hang out with my sister, mom, and all my girl cousins. Tonight, we have two more cousins coming- 2 boys- and they are probably swimming at my moms as I type this. Lucky little brats. Just kidding, they are nice kids- but I'd much rather be there, than here.

Monday evening was the Dark/New moon which means emotional time for me. Add that to the worst. period. ever, and I'm one oversensitive witchypoo right now. I love the new moon... but about every other new moon, I'm so emotionally out of whack, its hard to focus enough to Work. Monday would have been a good time to analyse the energy of my new temple space (its the room with the creepiest vibe in the house), but it just didn't happen. Oh well, I'll do a little research and reschedule that. It definitely will need some sage and a good word, or two. Maybe even three.

Recipes for Litha/ Midsummer/ Summer Solstice

These are two recipes for the potluck items I brought to circle this past weekend. Thought I'd share. :)

Ivy’s “Bomb-Ass” Midsummer Salad
One package of romaine salad
One package of spinach salad
One package of blueberries
One package of blackberries
One package of candied pecans
Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing
One package of Feta or Bleu cheese
2 cups of chopped chicken breast

Rinse, drain and then mix all salad and berries together in a large bowl.
Add chicken and pecans. Dress with the raspberry vinaigrette. Sprinkle with cheese to taste.
I like to serve this with pieces of baguette.


Ivy’s Solstice Sangria
One package of raspberries
One package of blackberries
One apple
One package of strawberries
Four bottles of Rose’ wine

Rinse all berries. Take the raspberries, and blackberries, and drop them into a large “sun tea” type jar. Chop up half of the apple, and add to the jar, along with chopped strawberries. Add the Rose wine, seal and refrigerate overnight. The “Sun Tea” type jar is great because it already has a spigot- making it easy for party guests to help themselves!

Litha Circle 2009

This Litha, we partnered with another circle for ritual, and it went fabulous. Our circle centered around self-love, and it was a great experience. After the circle, sangria was consumed, our potluck feast was eaten, and we had a little bit of drumming. Aislin taught us all a wonderful chant she learned on a Midsummers evening long ago.

Elemental Chant

Chorus:
Behold, there is magic all around you
Behold, there is magic all around you
Behold, there is magic all around you
Awaken, rejoice and sing.

I am the air within you,
I am the breath of life within you,
I am the breeze blowing through you
I am all that I am

*chorus*

I am the fire within you,
I am the spark of life within you,
I am the flame burning through you,
I am all that I am.

*chorus*

I am the water within you,
I am the well of life within you,
I am the wave moving through you,
I am all that I am.

*chorus*

I am the earth within you,
I am the force of life within you,
I am the ground beneath you,
I am all that I am.

*chorus*

Tiny Faeries Trampling on my Uterus

Some days I love being a woman. Being intuitive, emotionally connected, curvy, female. I’m happy to see beauty in everything- from flowers, to the color of the sky, and even in my screensaver.

Today is not one of those days. I’m on my period. And trust me- any men who may read this- it’s not like the Always commercials. It’s not a “happy period.” Whoever came up with the phrase “have a happy period” MUST have been a man. For there is NO woman in the world who can embrace her femininity with a giant smile on her face while it feels like someone is stabbing her in the gut repeatedly. Or crying for no serious reason. Or gaining weight because she’s bloated. What exactly is happy about that, again?

Oh, that’s right. Our bodies embrace this because we are lucky enough to be able to carry life. And THIS is something I can get on board with. I’m really looking forward to having children, and I embrace and appreciate the fact that my body is getting ready for this. After all, I don’t have regular periods, so when it does come, it comes with a freaking vengeance- to make up for all the months I got to miss. So, I understand that maybe my body has realized that I want some kidlings, but really- it’s frickin’ killing me this month. Of course, it must come during the busiest month I’ve had. With moving, planning a few events, work being crazy, etc. of course it would stand to reason that I’d be dealing with Niagra Falls and faries using my uterus as a trampoline-bounce house. Along with constant spontaneous breakouts of hives, and the cold from hell. Oh, and now I have allergies? Awesomesauce. This really isn’t supposed to be a ‘poor me’ type of post, but let me tell you- I am so ready for this month to end!

I already decided that after the move I am going to get a luxurious pedi, and I’m going to spend every weekend morning out in the sun, next to the pool. With a mimosa or something.

My mid-year resolution!

Well, my mid-year resolution is to write more. All kinds of writing- any kind of writing! From lessons, to articles to even blog posts. So, included in this is my desire to post more on my blog- use it as an introspective tool, post photos I take, etc. So, let's start now.

Here's a random photo of my new niece. The photo is about a month old, but she's so beautiful in the little butterfly jumper I bought for her! I never realized I could love a little person so much!




She is the cutest baby ever, and looks SO much like my little sister did when she was little. Cutest. Baby. Evah.

May flew by!

Well, I know I haven't posted lately. Life has been pretty hectic and stressful, especially work. We are getting ready to move into my in-laws house next month, so I'm trying to save boxes, and check on storage sites. We're storing our whole kitchen and dining areas, but I'll get my own craft/temple room. I'm very excited. About that part. About sharing space again... that will be weird. But we'll have a lot of space to make 'our own,' so it will probably work out better than it does in my brain.

This weekend is the end of May. How the heck did it fly by so fast? The only notable thing that happened (besides an awesome Beltane circle- check my groups blog for photos soon) is that I went to a crop with a great friend and co-worker! It was really fun- the people were really nice and they fed us really well! I highly recommend Custom Impressions in Bellflower, CA.

I've began a digital organization of all of the coven stuff- info, degree stuff, the BoS, everything. I want it all organized, so once I move, I can hand it over and be able to have it organized for whomever steps in my role. I found a great program for this and think I'm going to start using it, if I do take over the CoT manager role (rather than just being tech manager) at MW.

The CoT at MW is having some serious forum issues, which is preventing the classes from really running, as no one can really communicate with one another. I hope that it gets worked out ASAP (its out of my hands, and has been) because I am also working on turning my Wicca 101 classes into something that can be taught online. But it won't be an easy Wicca 101 class- it will be a pretty difficult online class. Like my spellcrafting class, a lot of thinking and DOING is required. And W101 will take a lot of time, because much of the discussion and activities that take place in real time usually, will be taking place on and offline. Online classes are given such a bad name by those who just repost information and ask a few questions. Mine are meant to make one think, and get off the computer and go DO. I actually thought about opening up some sort of forum to teach my classes, as I'd rather be able ... shoot- husband is nagging me to get ready to leave. More later.

Dark Moon Ritual

This is all my own writing, so please don't repost without my permission.

As this is April, and the full moon is sometimes referred to as Raven's Moon, I decided to create a Dark Moon esbat focusing on honoring the Raven, and divination. This circle is a little different than my regular Wiccan rituals, as it honors Raven rather than a God/dess. This circle is meant to be performed on a Dark Moon- the time when the moon is completely dark, before any sliver of moonlight begins to show. The dark moon lends itself to many introspective activities- this one is focused on divination. If possible, I also suggest the room be mostly dark if at all possible. Make sure that you have your divination tool(s) and a notebook or your BOS on the altar before you start.

Cast Circle
Seal Circle
Call Quarters

Evocation to Raven
Raven,
Creature of the black feathers,
Sacred bird of Bran,
Messenger of Odin,
Attendant to Lugh.
You who symbolize transformation and the great mysteries,
We praise and honor You.
We ask that You might share Your wisdom with us tonight, magickal one,
As we seek messages from the divine,
On this moonless night.

Statement of Purpose
Tonight we gather here to celebrate the dark moon. Divination is called for this night, and We have called upon Raven’s aid. In many cultures, Raven is known as the messenger, often carrying messages from the divine. Tonight, as we divine using our tools, we will ask Raven for her help in acquiring and interpreting the messages we receive.

Offering to Raven
Raven, we offer to you this gift of ______________ that you know that we hold you in the highest honor. (Can be grain, berries, or even eggs)

Blessing of Divinatory Tools
Dark Mother,
Wise Crone Goddess
Bless our circle and all within.
Aid us in tapping into our personal conduit to You, the divine.
Raven, ancient one,
aid us in interpreting the messages we receive on this dark moon.

Center of Ritual
Divination-make sure you note anything of import in your notebook or BOS.

Meditation
It’s nighttime. You find yourself standing outside of a very small cottage, in a garden of sweet smelling flowers. It’s so dark, it’s nearly impossible to see, as there is no moon in the sky- only a thousand twinkling stars. You gather yourself up and step close to the wooden door of the cottage. Open the door to the cottage and step into a warm, furnished room, lit by a small in the hearth. The room is small and takes up the entire floorplan of the cottage. You see what looks to be stairs going to a sort of basement toward the back of the room, and you cautiously approach them. There is no door, but you can see a brick room lit up beyond the stairs. Take the stairs down, and once you clear the floor of the cottage above, the stairs begin to curve around and traverse the perimeter of a round room. The walls are made of stone, and flickering candlelight washes over the brick. The sound of the footsteps echo around the circular room. Continue down the staircase until you can see a small circular pool of water on the floor of the room. As you step off of the last stair, you notice that the walls have candles placed here and there upon natural shelves carved from the rock. The pool of water in the floor looks almost like a mirror, and in it seems to be a white or pale blue light emanating from within its depths. Placed in front of the mirrored pool is a large luxurious looking cushion. Settle yourself on this cushion. Now, peer into the reflective pool. Focus on the symbols or words you received while you consulted your oracle and the pool may tell you their mystical relationship to you.

When you are through, take a few deep breaths, and remove yourself from the large pillow. Stand up and find the bottom of the steps where you came in. Begin climbing the stairs ahead of you. The candlelight still flickers over the bumpy texture of the walls and you can reach out and touch it as you climb the stairs one by one. Soon you reach the doorway into the cottage. The cottage is warm, making you realize how cool the previous room was. You see the front door and walk out of it, into the warm night. You are once again in the sweet-smelling garden, surrounded by comforting darkness, with the stars above as companions. You feel relaxed, renewed and know that you can return to the round room whenever you might need guidance during the darkness.

Cakes and Ale

Release of Raven
Majestic Raven!
You who inspire transformation and change
Messenger of the Gods
We thank you for your presence in our circle tonight
Blessed Be!

Quarter Releases
Open Circle