Sigh things are not so easy

I have been totally let down by myself this week. Between school, house work, pets, and most importantly my daughter, I have been to drained to do anything. I am struggling to find time to brush my own hair during the week. I decided to listen to my body this weekend and just relax. Now that I am working on starting back up my crazy pace, I am wondering how on earth I fit time in for my spiritual path.

For starters I am going to be working on my visualizations. I can get really intense sensations under my skin but that is it. In fact since the last time I posted I have actually done my first ritual. It was very simple and just to say thanks to the god and goddess. I really was lacking visualizations. I did decide to look on line for some free help. I found this website http://www.wicca-spirituality.com/.

I might be struggling on finding a balance and how to work my spiritually in to my life but I know the more effort I put the better it will get.  There is so much on me I feel like it just may come tumbling down doing. But every time I take a deep breath or feel a warm breeze or the sun upon my skin, I know that this won't last.

So my question is what ways do you live wicca?

How I Get the Most Out of My Studys

I am the type than when I get a book that I am so excited about it, I just have to read it from front to back. I don't like having to stop to write notes and questions down. I just want to adsorb as much of it as I can without stopping. The reality is by doing I am enjoying it but I am not truly interacting with the book. I find interacting with the book that I am studying is quite important, maybe even more so with an Wicca text. That is how I came about deciding on a set of  rules for my studies. I will tell you in great detail about what I do in hopes that even some part might help you.

I would first like to make a few personal statements. For starters this method is based of the many tips I received while taking a collage class over the summer. Also studying is the first step to really getting to know the God and Goddess, but not all studying is from a book. This method is just for studying books but I am working on perfecting other study methods. I am already finding you can study anything in this world just buy experiencing it. As Wiccans we need to touch, feel, and breath the nature around us. Where every we live we can find the Deitys in all things around us. I am working on becoming more aware of this myself. Another way we study as Wiccans is through prayer, rituals magic workings, and meditations. I am sure there are many more ways as we progress on our paths but I am quite new and this is all that has been revealed to me.

The First thing I do is I search the book. This isn't something I so in great detail. I simply just skim table of contents and look at pictures, as well as things in the appendix, and skim the index. The point is just to get a feel for the text. I find that this step slows me down and prepares my mind for the study. Any time I feel a lack of focus I might repeat this step as a means of easing in to studying.

The second thing I do Is start reading. While I read I do several things. I underline things I think to be main points that I want to revisit later, usually only a few words. My general rule for this is that no more than 10% Of the text should be highlight or underlined. I also will put question marks next to things I want to give further study or that I don't understand. I will but quotation marks around any phrases by author that really touch me. For this it is best to think of anything you might find if you were looking for daily quotes for your mirror book. I also might put happy faces, stars, and explanation marks by things I found rang partiality true to me or I simply just really like the subject. The last thing I may do in this stage I really try to minimize but  some times I will get a thought, question, or get the need to write a really strong feeling down. When this occurs I will write in the margin. I write in short hand using as few words as possible as well as small as possible. Also if there is a few blank pages for notes in the book I will put these there if they are longer.

Now I use a journal or mirror book for this next step but you can have a notebook that you use just for your studies. What I do is I start at the first page of the book and go page by page. I will look at all the marks maybe read the whole sentence that is attached to the mark. I will right all my thoughts and feelings about it what ever comes to mind. The point is to break down all those things you thought important enough to mark up your book. To really give a in depth look at what the author is saying. What and how this applies to your spiritual relationship with the God and Goddess. Some times you may have only a few thoughts some times you could have pages to write and both are equally ok. I study a chapter or a few pages every night. I may stop when I get to one of those questions and make a in depth note about what I didn't understand. I may even note where I might find the answer if I can't find it right away. It doesn't matter how long it takes to do this part, the point is to take your time.

Last but not least is putting your new knowledge to work. If your studying herbs start making things with them. Don't be afraid to jump right in before your done studying the text. The key is to take everything at your own pace. I really love that I can be reading a new text while doing the written part of a study. I get a lot out of stopping and slowly analyzing my studies but I also desire to move forward on my path this method I use is perfect for that. It lets you to study and live it all at the same time.

Blessed be-

What is the main why you approach studying on your path?

A Note about the Edits on here!

I just want to note that I am devoting a lot of time to my studies on my craft and Wicca. These things I hope will show themselves as I continue to post. I am also a single mom who is going back to school full time. And working out many other issues of my life. So I as much as I want to just quickly rewrite all earlier blog post in one sitting I can not. I also don't want to stop moving forward just because of some editing. This is my solution I will be posting a outline and explanation of how I study tomorrow or the next day. I am going to be editing backward bit by bit tell I am all caught up. You will notice the rewrites because they are written in a red brown color. How much I edit a day will be solely based on how much time I have, so far it is just a paragraph.

The second issue of graphics may take longer time because I have no Idea where to get them from that is not copywrited and free. There is also the issue of how to aply them so it might take me a minute to figure out all this. Even when I do I am bound to make so misktakes. Please bare with these things. Also let me know if you seem to see any major errors or something. Thank you guys so much for the support.

BLESSED BE! in hopes I make this a very enjoyable blog for you. I truly see this as our blog not mine and that my path is intertwined with all who follow it even if on the smallest level. Thank you a million time over for joining me.

So Sorry!

I was just informed that I had many run on sentences and bad grammar. I would like to take a moment to say I am so sorry for this. I am not going to be posting for a few days while I work on editing them down.  Feel Free to still Discuss them, as the questions and content will not change. All I am going to fix is the grammar and run on's. Again I am very sorry.

Handmade, Or Bought?

I started out writing about brooms and the one I had just made. As I starting typing I felt the energy inside me start to stir. It was not the typical energy of inspiration that I normally feel when I set to writing. It was gentle and combative all at once. I stopped typing turning inward I could feel the energy twist and turn, almost like it was bubbling under my skin. Every time I started to type it would get more intense. So I stopped to pondered and asked well what the hell I write than.  This question was not particularly directed at me or anyone.   Than quite clearly I was told by the god and goddess to stop writing, that I need more study, and to write about what I thought was just a personal issue for me… “Is it better to make your tools or buy them?”

Well this is quite complicated when I think about it. What is better Handmade or store bought? It is not as simple as yes or no, the simple answer and the bottom line are both. Now for me if I can make it I will for many reasons. COST is a big one but not the main reason. The main reason is it helps me attune to the God and Goddess, as well as with nature and the tool. I sense that I am more connected to it if I have made it. I am a very creative person and I enjoy making them very much. I have said this before.

Now, How about the tools I can't not make? How does one choose them? How does one know they are right? If you buy all your tools how do you choose them? Well There are two approaches I plan to take on this one? One is I am on the look out for found items that call to me. Example I found a brass bell along time ago that I kept around and I love it. I felt drown to the first time I touched it. When I was reading in my book current book of study about the bell. I new right away that bell was and always has been meant to sit on my alter. Now this calling works well to if you are buying something in a store or thrift shops. Now If you are buying some thing online what do you do? I am still not sure I would be very Leary of it but I know that maybe my only choice at some time. I think I would do ritual of sort asking the god and goddess to guide me on the web and than search for it listing to my own intuition and use it to let the them guide me.

How do you decide between found, homemade, bought, or found?
Do you make any of you tools? What ones?
What is your favorite tool and why?

My beginner Resources!

Book Of shadows

My book of shadows is the core of my practice and to me the second most important tool, the first would be myself. So far all my Book of Shadows is, is a list of correspondences, thoughts, and notes that I take as I study. I call this my working Book of Shadows. I even gave it a blessing. It is messy and mixed up and quite random but is serving it purpouse well. I am hand making my official Book of Shadows. I am aging the paper that will fill the book and  the cover is going to be made of embossed copper. I could describe it in much more detail but that would make this a very lengthy entry. I truely can't wait to share it here. I am going as far as to learn calligarphy I want the final piece to master piece, a true reflection of my decation and my talents. Even I know that a three ring binder might be more practical and much less work, for me I find the more I put in to making my tools the stronger connection I have with them. So why not but tons of time and effort into them? I am also a very creative soul that has a great need to create with my own two hands, so I plan on making as many of my own tools as I can. I am finding great joy in the whole process of constructing my Book of Shadows.

Blessed be!
-Antha-

What Kind of Book of Shadows do you have?
Do you enjoy the process of studying and filling the pages with added knowledge or do you do it out of necessity?
Why did you chose the style you did for your Book of Shadows?
 How do you decide what goes into your Book of Shadows?

Where to Start?

This must be a question we all asked ourselves at the beginning of our journey on our paths. I understand that this is different for each one of us and maybe more relevant if learning on our own or if you have not been raised with the craft around you. So I am going to start with my story and how I am starting on my journey, both this time and the first time.

I grew up in a home without a set believe structure. Whenever I had a dogma type question I was never given what my elders thought, in fact I was told to find the answer for myself or was set down in front of a program or given a book that might hold the answers. This was the foundations that lead to me being drawn to this certain path. Than one day I found out that a close friend of mines mother was a Wiccan and around the same time that several others I knew where pagan of some sort or another. This mother gave me a book about being a solitary witch by Scott Cunningham, titled: Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner That was it my many years of trying and learning many different religions and never quite having all my answers were solved it called to me loud and clear. I was in my teens but as I got older some trauma form my past and a horrible relationship and motherhood happened come falling at me all at once and I broke. I lost my way, sadly lost my soul. I have been working quite hard at finding it again and I feel that I have found it again. Yet something still was missing. I sat down one day about to fall apart and let myself cry, as one of my kittens licked my tears away I found myself praying to the energy’s to be as I have always called the god and goddess when I am unsure of what I am seeking, or for any general use as I only call specific deities when I have a very clear goal in mind. I had not called out to them in many years and herd it a loud and clear from deep within and far outside me. This is what was said to me. “When was the last path you were on where you were whole? Come back to that, your soul is ready this time.” I knew at once that the voice was quiet right and here I am. This was my true path always has been. So once you get the calling and you know you’re headed in the right direction where do you go from there? I started by going online and buying that same book that showed me the way the first time and the sequel to it Living Wicca. I also started to work on my book of shadows. I have been going online and just looking at everything I can find on Wicca and the craft some of it I find quiet useful and right down right away. Some of it I book mark for later use. Even more often than not I just read it and put in my mind but do nothing with. Why?, because I am not called to do so. Now I would like to share with you my method for studying. I start by saying a prayer of sorts that is different each time but always I ask for guidance and the knowledge to see and know what information I need and that will be right for my path at this moment. After this I take a few breaths in and grab my note book and writing tool, I set to reading. I will start by searching something broad like what is Wicca? Or Wiccan lore? Or simply I search Wicca and scan through the list when I than I listen to my intuition on what to read or where to click, if in a bookstore I use the same method for what books to pick up. If the information screams at me I put it in my working book of shadows. The key is to allow the god and goddess or powers to be to guide your study and to trust yourself and your own instincts. I would also like to add that I will explain my book of shadows at a later date in time in case there is any confusion about what I mean about a working book of shadows it is more or less a rough draft not pretty but very practical for me. One last note when do basically the same thing when I am ready a book pray before I study than I read it from front to back right down anything I am called to do so. Other things I write down are any questions I have or things I want to look deeper into at a later date, as well as any thought that call to me as I am studying.

I hope some find this helpful if you have question just ask.

Blessed be!

What brought you to Wicca?

How do you study?