Over the weekend, I went camping with my kids.  A ton of fun, but very tiring.  It was a chilly sleep on a cot on an incline.  I've been resting my sore muscles and getting my sleep.   On Monday or Tuesday, I came across post from Brigid's Grove/Molly Remer about a September Class she's teaching called Replenish at the Hearth , featuring Hestia.  Of course I'm interested, but with Halloween coming up, I can't afford to take it (and it's not expensive, but it ain't in the budget).   However, Hestia tapped my shoulder wanting me to do a Hearth Replenishing ritual with Her.  Sure, yall know I could use some rest and energy.  Then yesterday, Virtual Fire was looking for someone to host the weekly ritual.  I volunteered, and wrote a ritual with Hestia's guidance, inspired by Molly Remer's class title and some of the poem/prayers she has on her FB page.  I didn't know much beyond the title and the prayers.   I knew...

Christmas Eve 2025 - When the Uno game battled on for two hours and Mistress Ventress decided that we were done! One of my favorite New Year traditions...or perhaps chores...is filling out the new calendar.  2023 was foxes.  2024's calendar theme was deer.  2025 was baby goats.  This year, I was able to get a Witches Calendar--a favorite of mine that I usually go for. This year's chore had me re-evaluating my Sacred Year--my holy days.   Paganism is a very DIY path, and being eclectic, very  DIY.  Lots of trials, errors, adopting, tossing, tweaking, and self evolution.  My spiritual path is very different than it was 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and even a year ago.  Which is good.  We're supposed to heal, question, and change.  We're supposed to evolve.  My Sacred Year has gone through many changes since I was a witchling. Wiccan to eclectic to spirit work to moon heavy to hearth focused to Hellenic to Norse to a mixture of...

Here's a story about the first time I went to someone's home to banish an "Astral Nasty". Before I was a priestess (and before Covid), I was contacted by a student, whose relative had a spirit problem.  Everything this spiritual relative was trying wasn't working.  They even brought in another relative who is a witch--it helped a little bit, but the entity was still in the home, still causing problems.   I did meet with the relative in a public location so we could talk about their problems, things they've tried, and so on.  They told me their family deity was Selene.  I did some divination with Selene to see what our next steps should be in dealing with this entity AND protecting the family. The morning of the banishment, said entity paid me a visit and tried to force entry into my home, but it wasn't able to get through my wards.  I wasn't scared--I was protected by my Kindred and my magiks.  Growing up in abuse, I'm used to tactics like this fr...

This morning I got up to see a subscriber email from Druid and author John Beckett. In his newsletter he talked about Seo Helrune’s post about Tweens And The Unseen Not Your Typical Tween Drama —about spirits and your kids. It definitely resonated. Psychic abilities run in both sides of my family, but are stronger on my mom’s side. I’ve always been able to see and hear entities. When I was little, my “imaginary friends” were spirits who often took animal forms, as well as Ancestors. My first goddess was Sister Moon, but my first encounter with a goddess appearing to me was the Greek Hestia when I was really little, somewhere between 8-10. I used to read children’s art books (I think Disney had a series in the 80’s and early 90’s, maybe older, but I remember Mickey Mouse) and read children’s mythology books—reading about Pagans and their Gods and wishing that they were real or still around. Hestia came to me and said that they were. Eventually, I’d get my first Wiccan book when I was ar...

 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...

Back in 2014, Hestia called me one of Her Hearth Keepers. Basically, my duty was to care for the Hearth—my home, family, and self. A title that I humbly embraced. A few years later, the Vestals began training me to be one of them. Not caring that I wasn’t a virgin and was married with children. I served the Hearth Mothers and cared for my home and family. I also served my community as a Home Cleanser, Astral Nasty Banisher, and a Home Blesser. I had learned over the years, that I was also a Home Healer. We didn’t live in any one place for very long for a little while. While we lived in various places, I was often met by pissed off spirits who also lived in those spaces. As a Spirit Worker and a Hearth Keeper, I worked to soothe those entities, and show them that not all humans are dicks. I also helped the once human spirits, too. I cleansed those homes and helped the spirits understand the residents a little better. I healed and then moved on to the next place. So the Vesta...

If you do prosperity magiks today, here's your reminder! March 1st used to be a pretty significant day on my path. Thanks to Debra Macleod’s New Vesta Tradition, this day used to be the Flamma Vesta (I believe it’s also the Roman New Year). It was a day to honor the Roman Vesta and Her Priestesses, the Vestals. It was a day of purification and renewal of shrines and candles. A rededication of myself as a Vestal. A day of house cleaning and family bonding—immortal and mortal family. But…I already had a day like the Flamma Vesta. Well, days. The Vestalia in June (7th-15th, or sometimes just the 9th, depending on my spoons). The only thing that’s different is the Priestess rededication, which I’ve added to the Vestalia. Every 1st of the month, I also honor Vestia, aka Hestia-Vesta. (Over the course of last year, Their names fused into one, so I didn’t fight it.) And as an ADF Hearth Keeper, I’m already a Flame Keeper for my Hearth Mothers and Spirits. AND in February I joined a Flame ...

 About a week ago, I wrote a post that was supposed to be about my relationship with Dionysus and Ariadne, but turned into Myth Gods and Real Gods . When I was a teen I had a handful of deities: Sister Moon, Hestia, Vesta, Artemis, Hephaestus, and Anubis. Over the years, that number would change, especially as I started working more with animal spirits. Then as I went through a phase of dark depression and rejected being an artist—I listened to what asshole students and teachers of Wright State University’s art department, who said that I was mediocre and talentless and had no place in that major. I pushed Hephaestus away, and the others (although Hestia-Vesta and Sister Moon stayed). (My drawing teacher, Penny, brought me back by saying that I had the potential, but I was standing in my way). In 2014, I started working with the Roman Ceres. During one of my full moon rites with Her, Sister Moon, and the Land Spirits, Dionysus showed up. He stayed…and with Him came a flood of...

  Happy Equinox, Fall for the Northern Hemisphere and Spring for the Southern Hemisphere!  I just couldn't wait to do my ADF altar up for the new season.   The altar detail, left to right: An oak tree coloring page, container of cornmeal offerings, 9 Pagan Virtue study cards, Dollar Tree pumpkin, lavender cup, kuksa offering cup, and a lil' bottle of silver. Lavender Cup that represent The Well, a block of wood that represents The Tree,  Lil bottle of silver beads.  Garanus (Crane) Ada Spirit , Bee Inkwash Sticker by Vanessa Renee , an acorn a stranger gifted to me last year at the Ren Faire, Hestia ( Windstone Devotion ), a Dollar Tree ceramic pumpkin, an LED tealight to represent The Fire, and an oath ring. In the very front, not in picture is my Maple Wood Elen of the Woods Blade (Elen Blade for short) (hand carved by the Mind Body & Spirit owner's husband) Pumpkin, fox figurine, drinking horn, and my favorite river stone to represent The Mountain. ...