The Earthsong Summer Festival 2014

This year, for the first time, some of my friends and I participated in the Earthsong Summer Festival! My friend Hayley sold her paintings, Dani her jewelry, and I sold my wands, boxes and scrying mirrors!

For me, it was a really amazing experience. I thought I'd sell one or two wands, tops. It turned out that I sold 5 wands and traded another. I also sold a scrying mirror and a box, and traded 2 boxes. I feel like it was a complete success, and it gave me a huge confidence boost!

The first wand that I sold was my Beauty & the Beast wand. This sold before the festival began to a woman who works at Earthsong. It's interesting that it was the first to sell because it was my favorite wand, and the most difficult to part with.

The next 2 to sell were another two of my favorites, Serpent in the Night & Robin Hood.

Next to go were the two boxes that I traded. One had a triple moon symbol and the other had the moon phases. For these plus $20, Ra Moonhawk traded me one of his legendary wands and a labyrinth heart necklace made of buffalo hoof. A friend of mine has been telling me about Ra Moonhawk and his wands for 6 years, highly praising his crafting, and this year I finally got to meet him! I am overjoyed and honored to coexist with one of his wands!

Next, I sold my Snow White box and a scrying mirror.

Then I sold my Gingko wand and traded my Rustic Rhodonite Root wand for a piece of indigo gabbro, both to the same man!

My final sale of the festival was my most recently made wand, Snow White and the 7 Chakras, which is one of the wands that I am most proud of, and the one that I most wanted to sell!

For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that I'm proud of myself. I had an amazingly fun time with my friends, things that I made influenced other people's spiritual lives, I met awesome people, and I exceeded my sales goal! July 19 & 20 were all around GREAT days!

The Handi Fae Facebook
Anne Elizabeth's Wands & Altar Boxes Facebook

Be Seeing You!
-AE

Goddess of the Moon Pendant - a post for my cousin

There is a Moon goddess in almost every culture, although when presented on the image of a pentacle it is probably representing a triplicity Goddess of either Celtic or Greek origin. Moon triplicity goddesses represent the phases of the moon – waxing, full, and waning – personifying each in their own way. The goddess of the waxing moon (which is the moon growing brighter from the new moon to the full moon) is seen as a Maiden; the goddess of the full moon is seen as a Mother; the goddess of the waning moon (the moon growing darker from the full moon to the new moon) is seen as a Crone.

The Triple Goddess of Greek origin includes Selene (Maiden), Diana (Mother), and Hecate (Crone), although there is some controversy as to whether it is Diana or Selene who represents the full moon. It is also said that Hecate herself is a Triple Goddess of the moon and that she moves from a young maiden, into a mother, and then a crone throughout the cycle of the moon every month.

The Triple Goddess of Celtic origin is The Morrigan: Badb (Maiden), Macha (Mother), and Nemain (Crone). The Morrigan are also a triplicty of war. 

The crescent moon that the goddess on your pendant is holding represents either the waxing or waning moon, while the circle enclosing the pentacle can represent the full moon. 

The waxing moon is a time of new beginnings and growth (the Maiden).

The full moon is a time of empowerment and completions (the Mother).

The waning moon is a time of cleansings, releasings, and endings (the Crone). 

This pendant can represent and/or be used for all of these things. Anytime you start a new project, decide to end a bad habit, or doing anything of importance or change in your life, wearing this pendant and putting your energy and faith into it will make you and your efforts stronger. 

-AE

Reading Wicca

Hello Everyone!

Today, I find myself reading Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham, a gift from a friend. I have never cracked this book before now, even though I highly respect the author. I suppose there are two reasons that I have never read this book. The first is that the opportunity has never presented itself. My local library does not have a copy, I don’t know anyone with a copy, and I’ve never seen it at a local book store. 

The second reason is that it is called “Wicca.” I have always been wary about the word “Wicca,” because a lot of Wiccans and Wiccan-themed books are focused around coven work with a High Priest and Priestess, with initations and ritual proceedings to “reach the next level of Wicca…” I have never really agreed with or seen the point in that type of practicing, and for that reason, I have oftentimes passed over titles with the word “Wicca” in them. 

However, Scott Cunningham’s Wicca is much different than, say, Lady Sheba’s. He makes it very clear that there are no set rules to Wicca and that his version of Wicca was learned through experience and may be changed or practiced in different ways by others, because not everyone believes 100% the same as he does. So far in this book, I have read things that I do and things that I do not agree with, but he writes in such a way that I can take away what I wish from his thoughts and leave what I do not believe behind. I respect this because with the book that I am writing, I hope to do the same. He educates others on his belief system, but he openly states that it is not only alright but also encouraged to change what you wish.

While teaching what he believes, and what many other practitioners believe, he also tells you to follow your intuition and your heart. He refers to the Goddess and the God as just that: “the Goddess and the God.” But he encourages the reader to use any deity names they might feel comfortable with. While he talks about the Goddess and the God, you may be reading about and practicing with Hera and Zeus, Artemis and Apollo, Hades and Persephone, Shiva and Parvati, or any other number of gods and goddesses from any pantheon. 

I am only two chapters into this book and already I am respecting Scott Cunningham even more than I already did. I am inspired and gracious because of this book and I hope that someday, someone feels the same about my own writing. 

Until next time!

Be Seeing You!

-Anne Elizabeth

New Life :)

Hello everyone!

I haven’t posted here in a few months, and that’s because my internet at home is down. I come back to you with some good news: I’m 4 ½ months pregnant! In May, my boyfriend and I will be finding out the gender of our little one. It took us a while, but we have names picked out. 

For a boy, we have Jasper Vincent. Jasper is for the stone, and Vincent is for Vincent Van Gogh, one of our favorite artists. 

For a girl we have Elysia Selene. Elysia is for the Elysian Fields of Greek mythology, which is the place in the Underworld where the just, honorable, and moral souls end up after death. Selene is for the Greek moon goddess of the same name. 

I am thrilled to be bringing new life into the world. It took me a while to get past the panicking part of finding out that I’m pregnant, and moving on to the happiness and excitement, but I’m finally here. Blessings to all!

Be Seeing You!

-A

Drawn to Hades

Good evening.

Lately, I have been drawn to the Greek Underworld, also known as Hades, named after the god who presides over it. I have always been drawn to Greek mythology, but for some reason over the past month I've been very intrigued by the Underworld. It's different sections are all interesting enough on their own, and put together, it's all very fascinating.

Maybe this is my way of figuring out where I think I'm headed when I die, or maybe it's just a spiritual experience waiting to happen. Either way, I think I will be doing more research and meditation on the subject of Hades.

What section of the Greek Underworld most interests you?

What is something you have been spiritually drawn to as of late?

Be Seeing You!

Charon, the ferryman of the Underworld. Image found on Google.

Solitary Practice & Past Life Speculation

Good afternoon, everyone!

When I was first looking into paganism, the thing I wanted most was a coven of witches to help me learn and grow as a pagan. As I grew, however, I became more of a solitary practitioner. I do cast with my friends at times, but most of my work is done alone. It feels more spiritually right that way.

The first time I ever did any real casting work with other people, we used my altar in my bedroom at my old house. Next to my altar, there was a window that reached from the floor almost to the ceiling. It was nighttime, and the curtain over my window was open. As we set up the altar, I kept glancing out the window with a nervous sort of feeling. Whenever I had done solitary work before, my curtain had been closed.

Throughout that entire casting session, I felt the need to close the curtain, because I didn't want anyone peering in at us to see what we were doing. Mind you, this window faced my backyard, so there wasn't a huge chance of anyone walking by, but the feeling was still there. To this day, unless I'm casting outside, I never feel exactly right if I'm exposed by an open window. I've often wondered why this is.

I've never been one for past life regression, as it leaves too much to the human imagination, so here's one for past life speculation: when I get this nervous feeling, sentences such as "we shouldn't be seen," or "our craft should be hidden," surface in my mind. Oftentimes images will appear in my mind of other windows looking out on similar things, as if I were standing in a room centuries ago looking out on the evening before a casting session. Usually, I brushed these scenes and sentences off as nothing, but as it has happened so many times now, I have to wonder if I might be remembering pieces of a past life.

Because I am rooted in the old ways but feel the need to pave forward a road for others through a book of shadows of my craft, it would make sense that in a past life I was a witch of the burning times. They hid their craft from outsiders, but they passed it down through their bloodlines through personal books of shadows with instructions for spells and rituals, charms and brews. The difference is that they were forced to hide their craft from outsiders, while I am not. Religious freedom wasn't a huge thing back then, but these days it sure is.

I'm not telling you as fact that in a past life, I was a witch of the burning times. I am telling you that it feels like truth to me personally. Truthfully, we shall never know. I follow the Greek belief that on your journey through the Underworld, you must drink of the River Lethe and forget the memories you hold of your life. Through pathwork and meditation, it may be possible to recover some memories of past lives, but we will never truly know if these are true memories or if they are fabrications created by our own imaginations.

Be Seeing You!

A river in Alaska called Lethe. Image found on Wikipedia.

R&R, Back in the Game! :)

Good afternoon!

Over the past couple of days, I have been doing some much needed relaxation. For weeks, I've been saying "I'm just going to relax today, no research or nonsense!" but the night before last was the only night I have actually relaxed without studying or researching. Last night, I started back up on my research, and with the break the night before, I felt much more motivated!

As of last night, I'm working my way through a book about druidic practices, as they have a lot of information regarding time in magic and spirituality. I expect to be done with it by tonight.

After this summer is passed, I don't think I will have as much time to research time in magic/religion/spirituality as I do now, therefore I am taking full advantage of the time I do have to go through as many books as possible. I'm very excited for this project, as I have been for a while now. Collecting the pieces is my goal for now. Putting them all together is for a later time!

Be Seeing You!

Image found on Google