On Tuesday night we had a strong violent storm blow through.  Hard heavy rain that might have been hail--I couldn't tell because it was too dark.  Normally, when I'm aware of severe storms heading towards us, I petition the Storm and Home Kindreds for protection.  But on Tuesday, I was focused on photo albums.  It wasn't until the hard rain and loud thunder hit that I realized what kind of storm we were dealing with.   I gave offerings and then I faced the strong storm slamming our trailer.  I quickly grounded and centered myself and locked in.  Hands up, I felt the shield around our home, and I also tapped into the storms energy.   I galdred the runes of Thurisaz, Othala, and Algiz.  Thor, Home, Protection.   Then I said, " Kindreds and Spirits with our best interests at heart, I ask for protection over my family, our guest, our pets, and our home from this storm.  As it is asked, as it is willed. So shall it b...

(My apologies, I feel like I'm making less sense than usual because I have a head cold and have medicine coursing through my veins.) After many pokings and proddings from my Kindred, I finally combined my Healing Altar with our Family Altar to make space for the ADF Altar: Family & Healing Altar Ár nDraíocht Féin Altar The Family & Healing Altar has great energy now--feels like a big hug or someone coming to give you a big warm loving hug. I'm glad to have the ADF Altar up again, too.   Last night I was working on that hearth blanket and suddenly it felt like I was falling or being sucked out of this realm, but I stopped it.  Up until a few years ago, I didn't have control over my ability to astral travel.  Apparently last night, I unintentionally tranced while crocheting, and didn't have control either.  I grounded and regained meself.  Then I heard Mama Hekate in my head telling me to stop and go to bed...and to also meet Her in the Starry Cave....

May 28, 2024: Ancestors I'm not going to lie, this is the fifth time I've tried to write this part and got smacked with writer's block, suddenly unable to remember what heck an Ancestor even was, despite that Ancestral Veneration is a big part of my spiritual path. Perhaps I'll start with the ancestral shrine and see what flows? September 9, 2023 Above is a picture of our family's ancestral shrine. It's a place for us to honor our ancestors of spirit, blood, inspiration, place; animals and humans; past lives and this one. There's also a couple of things for the Psychopomps and Death Gods. Unlike my other altars and shrines, this one doesn't change too much, unless new information is learned about someone, and they're removed (toxic ancestors aren't welcomed here) or someone dies. Within the cabinet you'll find offering dishes and woven bowls made by the kids, various trinkets, gifts, inherited jewelry, real and replica fossils, pendulum...

Dec 1 : Today we’re having our feast. It’s just me and a heavy bird. Second time cooking turkey. It’s also a energy-sapping heavy ass moontime. Also also my sadist cat is clumsy af and cut up both of my legs shortly before dealing with this bird. Before I began, I put on some Pagan/holiday music and thanked the turkey, herbs, and veggies for their sacrifice, hoping that I honor them with good cooking. Then I asked for my Ancestors guidance and strength. And when I did start to get overwhelmed, They whispered, “Butter”, so I started on that step. As usual, They whispered to keep me on track and not forget anything as I went. No overwhelm. No freakouts. Pretty smooth. Then came time to put the turkey in the bag (also Peter Gundry’s ‘Lady of the Dawn (Nordic)’ just cut Lindsey Stirling off…I guess it really wanted to play). I was alone with a heavy, buttery, stuffed bird and a bag of veggies…and that I should’ve put the bird in the bag first. I asked the Ancestors for strength. …Then Loki...

 The most haunted house that I've ever lived in, so far, was my Grandmother Hester's house, in 2014-2015. This house was originally built by my grandmother's second husband, Feister, for his second wife, Margaret.  My mom and her siblings all grew up here, in a very not-so-happy home.  A home filled with mean spirits and abusive parents. But growing up for me, this was the house was different.  This was the house that our side of the family spent many holidays in, and had many "Hester Fests" in the backyard during the summer. Although I personally didn't like to be alone in any of the rooms.  Didn't help that grandma had a room of creepy fuckin dolls and mirrors, but there was something else that my kid self didn't understand.  I always felt like I was being watched and judged harshly.  Someone hated me, and it wasn't just Little Girl !  Although I liked going to grandma's house, I didn't like spending the night or being inside the house al...

 This is what my Wheel of the Year looks like (my Sacred Year actually has more holy days than 8): Midwinter - Feb 1st  -  https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-midwinter.html Spring Equinox / First Day of Spring  - March 20-23 -  https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/p/my-sacred-wheel-spring-equinox.html Midspring - May 1st -  https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/2025/04/my-sacred-wheel-midspring.html Summer Solstice / First Day of Summer - June 20-23 -   https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/2025/06/my-sacred-wheel-summer-solstice.html Midsummer - August 1st  -  https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/2025/07/my-sacred-wheel-midsummer.html Fall Equinox / First Day of Fall- September 20-23 -   https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/2025/09/my-sacred-wheel-fall-equinox.html Midfall - November 1st  -  https://hearthfoxoracle.blogspot.com/2025/10/my-sacred-wheel-midfall.html Winter Solstice / First Day of Winter - ...

 Today is April 1st, 2025 , as I write. I’m actually about to attend an ADF Virtual Proto-Grove ritual honoring Loki on Zoom. I have a cup of peanuts for offerings, since the local crows around here love peanuts. To be fair, Loki wanted mead, but the closest that I have to that right now is honey and water. I wanted to share a gift that I got from my eldest for my 41st birthday a few days ago. It is the statue of Pythia, a Delphic High Priestess and Oracle, holding a laurel branch and a bowl of spring water. I love it. Her eyes look eerily realistic, too. Or perhaps its just me? I’ve been wanting this statue every since I saw her. For in-person readings, I usually have a little altar set up for Hermes, My Ancestors, Fox Guide, and which ever Goddess wants to come along. Usually its Eir, one of Frigg’s Handmaidens and one of Odinn’s Valkyries—A Goddess of Healing. Very appropriate for the oracular work that I do. But honestly, I wanted that Oracle statue to help connect m...

 In the ADF Member Discord, there’s a discussion about the best and worst connections that people have with the Kindreds. Kindred’s being the Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Deities/Shining Ones. Naturally, it got me thinking about my own connections. When I was a little witch, before I knew that witches and Pagans were real, I was surrounded by spirits that I could see. Imaginary friends, the adults call them. But I knew they were real. My Unseen Friends….unseen by those without certain abilities. Certain abilities that most kids tend to outgrow. Mine outgrew just a tad. I had to work to reawaken them as an adult. When I was a kid, I remember human and animal spirits, and other creatures and beings that had no names. Shoot, one of my earliest pleasant memories was being a baby or toddler and looking up from a bed or a pen in the living room, at people who were slightly glowing and see-through. Ancestors. I’ve long since confirmed this. (I’ve also seen my little ones rea...

  On Feb 6, 2025,  Nancy Hendrickson asked folks what their oldest family object  was that they owned was. Mine’s probably skeleton keys that I got from my grandma or a piece from the family funeral wagon that was built by either my great great grandfather or great grandfather. A wagon that was family built and once painted white and blue. It was used to transport our deceased family from home to the graveyard in West Virginia. I believe this wagon was one of my grandma’s greatest treasures and she took very good care of it until she was too old. When I was little, I remember sitting on it on those rare times that she had it out of the garage. It was the grandest thing, I remember. Just bright sunlight shining over my grandma’s green house, bathing the wagon in gold. Later in our lives, she painted it white, blue, and red. Fauver Family Funeral Wagon, 2015 When she was too old to care for it, she pulled it out into her yard and let nature claim it. When her house was fina...