June 7, 20 25: Indo-European Book Review: In Search of the Indo-Europeans by J.P. Mallory When I selected this book, I did so because it sounded interesting. I thought it was going to be more about the people and cultures. Instead, it’s about the language, which I like etymology—I took a class in high school and at college. It’s an interesting subject, learning about the history of words and thus the speakers of those words. I was excited about the book. However, reading the book was a challenge for me. I have dyslexia and really love reading and researching and all that, and this book was difficult. Ironically it was just too wordy—just get to the point. It was almost like the author was being paid by the letter, or had a word count he had to reach, too. Too many long pretentious words when one word would have worked. Boom, to the point. I’m definitely not a fan of the author’s writing style. I know I’m not the best writer—wordy af—but I’m not a professional writer! ...

  Sept 21, 2025 Our Family Altar is all done up for Fall! Purification Rattle that I made a few Fall Equinox' ago.  It has leaves, acorns, corn, and sage smoke.  Hail Loki by Serendipity Wyrd Mjolnir My kids' altar satchels Frigg Hearthstone Campfire for Prometheus Dragon Guardian Tiny bee for Bee Spirits Hestia Viper for our Agathos Daimon An ash urn Vestal Jar of offerings Bee picture (by Laura Tempest Zakroff) for The Melissae Little pumpkin made by my youngest Lighter Reindeer for Reindeer Mother Wooden knife for Elen of the Ways Ceramic hand made by my midkid River Stone that I use for The Mountain in my Hellenic ADF rituals My business cards Crochet hooks Hearth Prayer Beads Fox for one of my Guides Coiled offering bowl made by my eldest Elk for my other Deer Deities All sitting on a lovely leaf placemat (thank you Dollar Tree!) What kinds of items do you put on your altars?  Shops like thrift and dollar stores are great places to get decor and tools for your s...

 On September 16th, 2025, I performed a Fall Equinox ritual for my druid grove honoring Persephone and Her Return to the Underworld. The focus that I wanted to have was a “moment without sorrow”. Day of, I was struggling with my Au-ADHD—some days are better than others and the 16th was just ugh. That lying bitch Anxiety was just doing just that—being a lying bitch. I love writing and performing rituals despite my neurodivergencies, such as autism (which I’m only self diagnosed for the time being), ADHD, and dyslexia. But because of those divergences, sometimes I get nervous about messing up—even though there’s nothing wrong with messing up during ritual, I do it every time. It’s just the nature of the beast, and my Kindreds have never got upset with me. Just is, you know? I’m human, not perfect. But on Tuesday, Anxiety was just being bitchy, making me all nervous and stuff. There weren’t even any strangers! Perhaps because Persephone’s Descent is one of my favorite rituals...

 This is what my Wheel of the Year looks like (my Sacred Year actually has more holy days than 8): Midwinter - Feb 1st - https://substack.com/home/post/p-155668258 Spring Equinox / First Day of Spring - March 20-23 - https://substack.com/home/post/p-158712101 Midspring - May 1st - https://substack.com/home/post/p-162285589 Summer Solstice / First Day of Summer - June 20-23 - https://hearthfoxoracle.substack.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-summer-solstice Midsummer - August 1st - https://hearthfoxoracle.substack.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-midsummer Fall Equinox / First Day of Fall- September 20-23 -  https://hearthfoxoracle.substack.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-fall-equinox Midfall - November 1st Winter Solstice / First Day of Winter - Dec 20-23 And so the Sacred Wheel turns once again! And to one of my favorite seasons: Fall. I look forward to the cooler, wet, windy days and changing leaves. Great times to camp, in my opinion! And how the energy changes to reaping and preparation. How an...

For the last few weeks, I've been studying and practicing a bit of ecstatic posture--which is holding a posture, often related to a Deity, Spirit, or Energy, and trancing/journeying often to the beat of a rattle and/or drum.  I have experience with this work already, but since the group that I was practicing with online no longer has Facebook Lives (I'm also not on FB anymore), I haven't done it in a while.   Until the end of summer.  I was first looking at postures in the book that I'm reading, as well as practising with my statues and figurines, and looking at Norse depictions and statues of the Gods and Spirits.   Some successes and fails.   This past week, with cooler evening temperatures, I've been going outside.  On Apple Music, I've found some shamanic rattling and drumming that I like for this work.  I just put in my earbuds, take a sitting posture, and press play.   In years past, my most intense journeys have been wit...

I’ve been practising eclectic paganism and experiential witchcraft since 1994-95. I was a Wiccan too, from ages 11-13/14. As an incest survivor, I left that path because I didn’t like the incestious nature of the Wheel of Life myth (at the time, I didn't realize that mythology is rife with incest); nor did the Harm None law feel right to me. It felt too oppressive to me, that we couldn’t defend ourselves with magik—but this is a post for another day. I’ve been psychic all of my life, too. There are practitioners and psychics on both sides of my family, but I wasn’t taught by any flesh-and-blood family. Always spirits, even ancestors much later. When I was a child, I read those mythology and art books, and wished that those pagans and old gods were still around. They answered. The first deities who revealed Themselves to me were Sister Moon and Hestia. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, then came Hephaestus, Artemis, and Anubis. For most of my young adult life, it...

I’ve been reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and yesterday’s chapters were heavy about Reciprocity - a concept that’s already a big part of my spirituality, and even bigger in ADF Druidry. Reciprocity - Ghosti - Hospitality - Gebo - Exchange - Gift for Gift - Never Taking More Than You Need - Giving Back - Energy Exchange. Giving because it’s right. Giving because it’s kind. Giving in gratitude. Not expecting anything back, no eye for an eye, and definitely not to gloat or for performance. Giving from the heart. Today is a full moon. And each moon I have certain sacral and pastoral duties to perform. I’ve taken the month’s offerings outside for the Kindreds (Ancestors, Nature Spirits, Godden) and Spirits All. I always bring extra cornmeal for the Nature Spirits—fresh offerings for allowing me to do my work. Later I’ll also be making cornmeal porridge for the House Spirits and Guardians, and giving blood to Freyja, my Gyðia Seiðkona spirit guide, and to my Spirit Stick....