~seeds~

i did stay up until way past midnight last night-it was the night the stonewylde forum closed it doors for the final time and so some of us wanted to be there until the end.

 

i joined the forum, in its old form in 2007, when i first discovered the stonewylde books in a shop called sister moon in Dorchester.

i have met many people who have become friends both on and off line and as most of you know we all meet up for a large gathering every year near avebury.

i felt i had to be there until the end-i made it until 1.28am and then could no longer refresh the page, someone who was in there a bit longer said that names kept vanishing in twos until there was nothing happening any longer.

 

although we still have a closed page on facebook to keep in touch daily, but it feels, with the closing of the forum that a part of something important has been closed.

but of course our friendships will continue.

 

***

since the winter solstice i have been pondering the coming year and what i want from it, and what i can give back to the year.

today we are in the dark (or new) moon in capricorn and, although we cannot see it, the moon is a 'super moon'_closer to the earth than usual.

 

Capricorn gives us the power of re-birth, to plant new seed intentions, to let go of the things that hold us back and embrace our intentions.

at this time the dark moon gives us that little bit of extra time to turn our thoughts inwards for a short time, just to re-think those seedlings of intentions...just to make sure.

 

over the time i have been thinking about my plans and intentions and yesterday they really came to the fore-from muddy, indistinct thoughts and feelings to something more earthy and solid.

have you planted your seeds?



~dark moon & equinox~

so within days we have had the dark moon and coming up is the autumn equinox.

 

my stonewylde clan had a dark moon ritual working on the protection of the badgers of this land who our near-sighted government have decided needs culling.

 

on the night of the equinox we are having a simple 'non ritual'-i will be sitting by my fire and thinking, meditating and we will be sending out blessings to each other.

 

so the last harvest, a day of equal light and dark is upon us and we give thanks to the great mother for her gifts.

 

i have been thinking of the ancestors and how they would spend the dark months.

 

many of mine were farm hands and so would have had intimate knowledge of the land and the changes throughout the year, many more worked with the sea and rivers so i imagine they would have knowledge of the seasons via the water.

 

i wonder if any of them followed a nature loving/pagan path?

 

~*~*~*~

 

i have been thinking of course how i will be spending the dark months, looking at my list from my previous post...

 

but what has been strongly in my mind just lately is my spiritual path, my soul journey.

 

for a few years now i have been thinking of doing the bardic grade from the

ovate of bards, ovates and druids

 

i would love to sit here and just join but like many people in the world right now i have money to think of, to some £12 a month is nothing but to many its £12 of fuel, or towards shopping, or a bill.

 

...maybe if i made £12 a month through my etsy shop then i could do it!

 

now there is something...what an idea...

 



~waxing moon ideas~

well the dark moon has slipped by, this month my body welcomed this period of the moon with headaches and the days running up to it i was furiously working for a week to get my latest essay finished and to my tutor.

so now as she slips into waxing we enter again the time for new beginnings, new ideas, so what i ask myself will be new for me?

again i find myself thinking of time, my time and what i do with it. i find myself realising that with my studies i don't allow myself time for other things~i am so concerned with keeping ahead i do nothing else and that the day passes me by. so i have resolved to spend the mornings with my books and the afternoons free.

i want this time free for i have had a new idea, well not really a new idea, i am returning to an idea i had a few years ago and never really did anything beyond thinking about it.
well now, whats the point of ideas if i don't carry them through, i ask myself? no point at all i reply to myself.
a few years ago i registered with etsy with the aim of opening my own little etsy store...and that's as far as i went! about as useful as a chocolate fire guard don't you think?!
well the last few weeks i have been thinking about it again and thought...is it time now? yesterday i thought about it even more and i think its time.
i discussed it with swampy, because he has been working on a project for someone using the artistic skills he has and he seems to think its something we can both produce work for.
my ideas are varied but revolved around useful, interesting items.
in the past i have knitted little merino wool mobile phone and ipod holders for me and my sister, merino wool wristbands and bracelets and i have ventured into jewellery making, bag making and ceramics which i have given away to people over the years, or just kept stored away.

these have been stuffed in my knitting bag, although i made my sister a thick red wristband with a pewter dog charm attatched...

i love to make necklaces and bracelets with leather thongs and using pewter charms and beads...

my own well handled and worn ipod holder, i made a blue and grey one for my sister and a lilac mobile phone holder for her as well...

i have a few pages in my moleskine devoted to sketches of my new ideas...i just now need to bring them to life.
i am especially excited about some new jewellery ideas and cant wait to get out and buy my supplies (although typicallly, the camper has broken down and the replacement part will not be with us from france until early next week!) and i have asked swampy to get out his inks and other art supplies to make me up a few things...talk about crack the whip!

speaking of cracking the whip~time for me to get my books out!

~dark moon arriving~

just as we had the wheel turn at the solstice so we are coming up to a turn in the waning cycle of the moon, we are edging slowly toward the dark moon.

a time to turn our thoughts inwards and build up any depleted energies.
its also a time for meditation and visualisation/pathworking/vision quests~whatever they are known as in your particular path , a time to ask questions and seek answers.

this is good for me as i have been having 'identity' problems with a certain someone in my own journey and its been driving me crazy~really crazy. its occupying my thoughts constantly.
when i started my journey and turned inwards for guidance and inspiration i met my guides, one i came to identify quickly, this other has been elusive to say the least.
so i have been trawling my books and endlessing thinking for hints as to who it may be.
oh i have asked, believe me, the first time i was told i was not ready, then the last time they just smiled at me~i took this to mean i am close and it feels as if i am.
in fact i am sure i am there, but just not ready to name name's to myself as it were, not quite yet.