Family Shrine September 1, 2024 It's September!  20 or so days until it's officially Fall.  I can feel the transitioning this weekend, as it's been very windy, with dying leaves blowing all over, and today the temps were nice.  A lovely day for a cookout on this Labor Day here in the US.  We have the windows all open, letting in the fresh air, and finally giving the A.C. a break.  Here's hoping the weather only get better from here...and not random swings of hell with a jump to winter temps.  I'd like to be able to enjoy fall weather this year. Pictured above is our Family Shrine.  A mix mash of entities, items, and things made by my kids for the Kindreds.  My kids have small satchels for their special spiritual items, such as a stone dog, stone whale, and a stone t-rex.  Let's take a quick look at what else there is, starting with the wall: A framed certificate from ADF stating that the Wren's Nest is an official hearth of the Mother ...

I'm hoping to do a Pick-a-tool or some other kind of community message once a week from now on.  I wanted to do a Pick-a-Tool reading today, but had a weather-related headache most of the day. While we've had beautiful weather here in Central Ohio, my brain hasn't been a fan. Instead, I'm sharing one of my shrines: The main Norse Shrine. Here I have many of my Norse entities represented (and no They don't mind sharing space): Horse Bookend for Sleipnir Loki Fox in a den Two Funko Pop Lokis (a gift from a friend)  Laufey's axe from the God of War  games A Polar Bear for Skadi Sol/Sunna, which I carved from rubber  Frigg as a little fake stone figure and a wooden weaving needle that came with a child's loom (partially hidden behind cauldron) Mjolnir Pendant for Thor A Odin statue (an old gift for my hubby) and prayer card (from The Magical Druid ) Two Yggdrasils, the pendent around Odin's head and the wire wrapping between the Council of Wolves.  (wire tre...

Tis the time of the year when spirits get really active for some people (another super active time might be in May--for some of us it doesn't really stop). It's a great time to set up an Ancestral Altar, if you'd like to. Not everyone needs/wants to venerate their ancestors and that's fine, too. Plus, some ancestors don't deserve to be honored imo (maybe not forgotten--make notes of the shit person they were, so a descendant doesn't end up naming their kid after them). If you'd like to, you can leave it up all year if you want/can, too, or take it out on birth/death days or other special days. Our Ancestral Altar lives in a hutch that I inherited from one of my grandmothers. Inside you'll find photos, notes, letters, trinkets, fossils, maps, family trees, photo albums, money, pendulum, offerings, and prayers for Ancestors of Blood and Spirit, our pets, and strangers/acquaintances who've had an impact on us in one way or another (like David Bowie, Fre...

The Vestalia is a Roman festival honoring the Hearth and Home Goddess and the Living Flame Vesta; I also honor the Greek Hearth and Home Goddess Hestia and the spirits of the Vestals.  I've been celebrating this holy time for a few years, since learning about it back in the early 2010's, when I was exploring Roman and Greek Paganism.  The festival is from June 7th or 9th to the 15th.  This is one of my most important holy times, especially now as a Priestess of Hestia-Vesta (a Hearth Keeper for Hestia and a Vestal for Vesta--Their words, not mine).  You may notice that I often hyphenate Their names, because sometimes They appear as one goddess and other times as two, purely a personal choice, not a historical one. My Vestalia Shrine. June 9, 2023 Starting in the back, left to right: a statue inherited from my grandmother representing family love, a satchel of my kids' altar stuff, a red protection satchel sitting in a bowl one of my kids' made, a Vestal, Vesta (at He...

After seeing Byron Ballard's warning for the next 48 hours  last night, I grounded myself between earth and universe, Gods and humans--the liminal. I plunged my energy roots deep and wide, so that no storm could knock me down. I connected with my new home and the land and the stars (I can see the stars now!). I went outside and looked up into the bright round moon, perfectly framed by three tree branches. Sister Moon, how long has it been since I've simply gone outside and gazed? Opened myself to your energies? Too long. I charged my shields, my husband's and children's shields, our home, vehicle, and property shields. I turned my attention next to the land and nature spirits. I had already given introductory offerings on Midfall, but tonight was different. It was dark, bitterly cold, and quiet.  I was alone. After standing there for a few minutes, I went back inside to get to my Priestly duties: asking what the Spirit Fam wants for offerings, of course. The Healers wan...