This past Saturday, I hosted a public Fall Equinox Ritual & Potluck at a local favorite park.  Family-friendly and free, just like Honeysweet .  It was a lot of fun.  A lot of people showed up in the beginning, but weren't able to stay for the ritual, but I'm really glad that they came.  We hung out and ate some really good GF Cheeseburger Soup.  I also got a much appreciated lesson on how to use a park grill and grill corn on the cob.  They're also a tea maker, so yall know I had to support my fellow local business owner.  Check out Opal Dragon on Facebook ! Once ritual began, I greeted everything and lead them in grounding between earth and universe, using energy from their heart centers. Here I am drumming to cast sacred space.  Nothing fancy, just a simple heartbeat.  As I drummed, those gathered used that heart energy to create the protective sphere of protection, love, and inspiration around us. After inviting our Spirit Guests, I d...

Happy Fall in the Northern and Spring in the Southern Hemispheres, yall!  Inspire by the two seasons, I'm going to use tarot and oracle cards for today's Pick-a-Card.  One deck is claimed by Ariadne and the other by Persephone.   Close your eyes and try some 4 square breathing: Inhale, 2,3,4 Hold,2,3,4 Exhale, 2,3,4 And rest. Repeat this however many times as you need to get grounded. Now think of a question or ask for a message from either of these Goddesses of Life and Death.  Pay attention to any numbers, letters, positions, etc., as this could be your intuition guiding you.  Pick your card(s). Catch the 25% Off Sale happening only on my Etsy before it's done!  That's 25% Off on all Non-Fall Items.  Sale ends on September 30th! All right!  Have you picked your card(s)?  It's fine to be drawn to more than one!  Here are the reveals! Ariadne: Rowan - Protection.   Keep your guard up.  Ariadne is hitting on a part of the ...

Tarot of the Divine, what's your message today? Ace of Wands - Creativity and inspiration King of Coins - Stability and success. 8 of Coins - Commitment to get better. It's funny, as I drew these cards, Macklemore's '10,000' came on my phone. Which is a song about practicing, not giving up, and following your dreams. Basically what my cards are saying. I often play this song when I need some inspiration and a boost.   I've been working on writing a public fall equinox ritual for next weekend, teaching attendees to make rattles, consecrate, and use them to help with releasing--do as leaves do this season. I've been doing group rituals for many years, and every time, I work, study, and practice to make them better and better. Since the last ritual in August, I've been building up the courage to just have note cards and not an entire binder in my face. I'm learning to be more fluid and natural with my rituals, and less scripty. What are you passionately...

  Blessed Full Moon Yall!  Tonight is a full moon, also known as an esbat in some spiritual/practitioner circles. This day is also a holy day for some people who work with the Greek Goddess Persephone. Some folks believe that on September’s full moon, Persephone returns to the Underworld for Her winter stay with Hades, returning to the surface in March. Others may see Her Descent occurring on the Fall Equinox (September 20-22) or on the Dark Moon (September 25). I invite you to also look into the Eleusinian Mysteries, which was/is a week long festival honoring Demeter and Persephone. I believe there are other festivals honoring Demeter and Persephone around this time, but all of my Hellenic Polytheistic binders are packed away.   Persephone's Descent, September 2021 Most people are familiar with the story of Persephone and Hades—the Flower Maiden named Kore (“maiden”) who was viciously kidnapped by the evil Death God, and tricked with 6 pomegranates to remain in Hades. A ...

 

In Modern Minoan Paganism, there is a holy day called the Feast of Grapes and it takes place on August 31st. It is a day to celebrate the Grape Harvest and honor the sacrifice of the Minoan God, Dionysus. Every year, during August and September, Dionysus is sacrificed with the grape harvest. If you're not a Minoan Pagan, and still want to do something similar, you can use this day as inspiration for your own celebrations. There's nothing wrong with creating your own days if there's nothing that fits your path. If it holds no special meaning to you, then what's the point? Inspired by Feast of the Grapes, I have the Sacrifice of Dionysus, August 13-September 13th. In the past, I've watched/attended drum circles, drum and trance, given offerings and sexual energy, and drank wine for Dionysus. There's also a short story in a book called 'Written in Wine' that is about Dionysus and the Spider Goddess Arachne–Her spiders protect His flesh and blood from pests ...

 Yesterday was the first time I hosted an in-person public ritual. (For privacy purposes, I will not post photos of attendees.) Honeysweet Ritual & Potluck - July 30, 2022 - Delaware State Park. Celebrating Bee Deities, The Melissae, and the sweetness in life. Hosted by Rev. Foxlyn Wren. Gluten-Free Hexagon Cake with vanilla buttercream.  The squares around it are honey cakes.  I couldn't find Bit o Honey candy, so I made my own.  It was soooooo yummy! Honeysweet Altar. A sphere was cast with heartbeat drumming and visualization. I led the group in grounding and anchoring , and inviting our Guests (Bee Deities, Melissae, Ancestors, Guardians) to the Rite. I drummed, while everyone gave offerings of flowers, birdseed, seeds, and nuts. I taught about what Honeysweet was, and taught everyone how to make origami bees filled with words, symbols, and energies of gratitude, love, and sweetness we wanted to draw in our lives to help us through the upcoming dark months, ...

Yesterday, during the Wyrd Sanctuary's Sunday Circle, we made energy balls.  The focus was more about feeling the energy, especially since some folks have aphantasia and can’t visualize.  I believe this weeks Circle Guide was using what they learned from Neuromagick: Basic Energy Work, Step by Step . My experience turned into something else, as usual.  I closed my eyes and built the ball.  The inside of my energy ball bloomed a big pink rose—not my doing!  I was curious, what did it mean?  Then a car-sized Melissae spirit appeared and entered my window.  The Melissae ("may-lease-ah") are Bee Goddesses, a type of Nymph, Spirits, and Priestesses of Ancient Greek and Minoan pagans (I think Mediterranean in general?).   The Bee Priestesses and Dancers!  In my experience, the Melissae have taken the forms of many different bee species, such as the honey bee, bumblebees, carpenter bees, wasps, and hornets; and they are in service of differen...

 A client made a trade for a session with me recently, and I'm now in the possession of The Wild Unknown Pocket Tarot by Kim Karns.  I love it.  Cute and easier to shuffle than the original.  I'm not sure if I'm going to make a pouch for this one or not, because I really like the tin it came in. I've been shuffling this deck for a couple of days now.  Time to ask it some questions: 1) What can you help me with?    2 of Swords - Decision Making. 2) What is your personality like?  Are you blunt, gentle?    "Necessary"  "Forgiving"  The Hanged Man.  Okay, so blunt, but not a total asshole.  3) What is your area of focus?  Money, healing, relationships, those sort of things. "Trauma"  "Shadows"  "High Priestess"  "The Star"  "Hope"  "Guidance through the pain."  "Lovers, shadow and light" 7 of Swords - Our shadows are often about what's hidden.  This deck is about uncovering those...

I changed my name--not legally.  For the last few months, I've felt a disconnect from Hearth.  It was more of a title than a name anyway.  A few years ago, one of my goddesses, Hestia called me a Hearth Keeper.  I don't think this is a term in antiquity, I don't know if Hestia had a priestess hood like Vesta did.  In 2014-2015, She called me a Hearth Keeper.  My job was to keep the hearth--Her temple--my home clean, healthy, and happy.  To care for myself and my family.  To heal home and property if needed, for future families.   I'm still a Hearth Keeper for Hestia, but Hearth as a magikal name?  Not so much.  See in the spiritual/witchy community it's normal to have different names (magikal, working, coven/group names), but not a requirement!  For about 19 years, my magikal name was Witchfire.  I was a witch and my element was fire, therefore Witchfire (I believe I was in middle or high school when I came up with it...