September's Blessings

Greetings to all who read my blog...

I am so blessed each day of my life.  I sometimes want to just shout from all the rooftops THANK YOU!  Don't worry, like everyone, I have my dark days too... and on those days, even knowing that the blessings surround me, it is sometimes hard to get moving and feel optimistic.

Do you struggle with things in your life?  Of course you do - we all do!  And it is not for anyone to judge another's struggle.  We should love each other, we should emotionally and spiritually support each other whenever we can.

I took some time off from social media; and stopped checking it daily - instead, I check it weekly.  And you know, I feel better.  So much better.  I am going to keep that practice going... because it feels good to me.

Now, what I really wanted to tell you about was how, while walking the dog a few nights ago... it had rained quite a bit... all of a sudden there were so many scents in the air.... the earthy smell of the forest after a rain... and the clean smell of the newly wet leaves.... the scent of a skunk who had ambled by some time before, and the scent of some other animals that were not too far off from where we were.  I was overwhelmed by the sensation of it all.  And then, as if that weren't enough - the OWLS have come back to the woods... I am sure they never really left, but the days are getting shorter, and they are more active when I am awake now, so I hear them more... there is something about the cool night air that carries their call farther... we have a pair of them that hunt together who-who-ing back and forth to each other... and on this particular night, I also heard a new voice... a smaller owl with a high pitched call that made me stop and listen.  I love to walk in the woods at night, the dog is my constant companion - he protects me from the animals by making sure they all know we are coming...

I have taken my drum out into the woods at night to drum with the owls.  I don't know if they care or not, but it makes me feel peaceful to drum quietly and sing while listening to the calls of the night birds and to occasionally see bright eyes shining through the woods at me.  It somehow reminds me of the blessings that I always know are there, but sometimes forget to acknowledge.

Thanks for reading!

Living life as an example....

One of the tenets of my belief is that "you" live your life as an example to others.  What does this mean?  Well, no one is perfect, and we are all human beings.... in that we are small, and flawed.  We should be humble by the greater forces around us. (And I don't mean the government or churches).  I mean Mother Nature, and the intangible unseen forces of the greater universe around us.

I believe that I do live a life as an example to others - not always the best example; I suppose it depends on the day and the context of what I am up to.  But today, for this post, I want to talk about being "in service" to others.  I hear this a lot... and recently I was questioned about it (in an interesting way) and that made me decide to create this post.... but I digress.

What does it mean to be in service?  Well, for me it means that I will volunteer myself to help out a cause that I believe in, or share a skill that I have to help someone who needs it.  One can't make a living continually volunteering all the time, so of course there are times when I volunteer and times when I get paid, and other times when barter may be appropriate.

I could not in good conscience ask someone to volunteer for something that I am not willing to do myself; and I am happy to admit that I never have.  I am also someone who encourages people to value their time and energy, and when appropriate, get paid for what they do.  Because bills must be paid, and there is a certain satisfaction that comes from receiving a form of payment for a job well done.

What about the EGO?  Oh My!  That is a topic for a longer post.  Let me just say this about that.... Everyone has an ego - the ego can help us survive, and it can help us to be successful, overcome obstacles and strive to achieve goals... I am often mystified when people speak of the ego in purely negative terms.  We need a healthy ego to survive.  There are extremes of behavior, that is of course, human nature.  Instead of focusing on negative energy and thoughts; why not try seeking balance?  Because after all, none of us is perfect.  In our imperfections we are unique.  And often it is those quirks of "imperfection" that make us lovable to others, and sometimes even to ourselves.

Take care of yourselves.  Love yourself, love each other.  Be unconditional in that love... and be all encompassing in that love.  We are men and women by birth or by choice; we are human by genetics.  

Humanity is not a color, gender, religion, or political view.... it is all of those things and so much more.

Self Help or Help Yourself?

At the prime (mid-life) of life, I have read plenty of self help books - haven't we all?  I'm pretty sure this is the largest genre of books on the market.  And the other day I thought to myself, as I was listening to one of the many "self-help" books I own... how many times do we need to help ourselves, and instead we pick up another book aimed at self-help, read it, listen to it, and do nothing to follow through with it?

For me, that had changed a long time ago - I gave up searching for the book that was going to hold me by the hand and give me step by step directions on how to live my life.  Instead, I listen to the books, read the books, and LIVE MY LIFE.  I trust that my heart knows what it's doing, and that my head will keep me from getting into too much trouble.  Sometimes I feel like a walking affirmation.  My approach to life is simple - I love who I love, I make no excuses for my choices, they are after all my choices.  And I live my life to please myself.  If I end up pleasing others in the process, all is well.
I have learned which battles I am willing to fight, and which ones are worth the struggle.  I have learned to tell myself no, and to discipline myself.  I have learned over the course of my life that the only person I can truly count on is ME.  I am the only one who is living this life... those who I love and share my life with are living their own lives and are not accountable for my actions any more than I am accountable for theirs.  I stopped being in relationships with people that I wanted to FIX and with people who wanted to FIX ME - I am not a Coldplay song - I march to the beat of my own heart's rhythm - as we all should.

Since this transformation has taken all of my life, I can't say that there is an easy fix to living the life that you desire to live, except to just live it - one day at a time.  Rise up to the challenges set before you - be honest with yourself, be honest with those that you include in your life.  Love yourself, and make sure that the love you give is unconditional - meaning; it's OK to make mistakes, it's OK to not be perfect - no one really expects you to, so why do you expect this of yourself?  Life is what we make of it, and we attract like minded people into ours.

I am blessed with many diverse friends in my life - in fact - I was recently asked, "Who DON'T you know?"... a very good question.  I am open to the world - I joyful greet new people, smile and talk to them... this is how I know if I want to nurture those relationships into something more, or if I just want to have the experience of meeting that someone.  I acknowledge that every day is a gift worth receiving, and I embrace that gift fully.

Do I have bad days?  Of course!  No one can be sunshine and light every moment of every day - but those dark moods remind me to take stock of the things I am grateful for.  And then I realize that I am helping myself!

Help Yourself!  Nurture yourself, Love yourself, Be Patient with yourself, remember that if you aren't doing it for yourself, no one can do it for you.

Namaste

Unconditional Love

There are so many things a person can say about love.  And there is no easy way to define it.  A mother's love; a father's love... a romantic love, and friendship love, the love for your pet, self love... the list goes on and on.  But here's what I know for sure.

Love is meant to be given and received unconditionally.  And unconditionally certainly needs no additional defining... does it?

Every man I have ever fall in love with, and spoken the words "I love you" to, I still love today.  Our relationships may have not worked out over time, some changed into beautiful friendships, and some... well we no longer speak to each other.  But I love them all the same.  Not with the same depth or passion that I once did when in the throes of those relationships; but I feel their joys and pains (when I know of them), and I think of them and wish them well.

My child - I love him unconditionally... there are absolutely no conditions on it.  No matter how many times I ask him to do something for me and he doesn't do it, or how many times I wonder what goes on in his head.  No matter how many decisions he makes that I don't agree with, I still love him.. with every fiber of my being.  There is a bond there that will never be severed.

My friends, co-workers, family, pets... students, clients, etc etc.  I love you all.  I don't put conditions on the love I feel - I just let it be love.  Though my dad once told me that a person could not survive on love alone, these days, I wonder at that.  I am at my happiest when I feel love for others, when I feel loved by others.  On my worst day, if only one person sends me a text, an email, or reaches out to me to say that they care about me, my day turns around 100% and I am filled with joy.

So when I listen to arguments, including the ones that I have... it makes me wonder, how to better express love?  When I am cut off on the highway, when we are all late to work, and I want to express something much different than love... I remember that they are in the same situation that I am in; desperate to get somewhere that they may not really want to go, it's Monday (Tuesday, Wednesday, etc...) They are going to be late for a meeting... they have to find a bathroom really quickly!  I honestly don't know what is going on with them, but I know that I have to share the road with them, and therefore, I should show them a little road-love... let them go on their merry way, put no conditions on it - (you better let me in next time we are fighting to merge into one toll lane)... I wish them well, and hope that they arrive at their destination... it takes  A LOT sometimes to send them that love... but somehow, I always feel peace restored in my own car, and my own soul when I am able to do it.

Now, with all the hatred in the world, and all the craziness and violence, shouldn't we send a little more unconditional love around the world?

Freedom is not free, it never has been... but LOVE is.

My Favorite Tarot!

I am a collector of Tarot decks - I have MANY... and each one speaks to me with it's own unique voice.... but there is one deck above them all that has my heart - over the years it has become my best friend and has shared the most intimate secrets with me so that I am able to help you achieve your success.

I love this deck so much that I have 7 iterations of it, and one of them I purchased in Hong Kong! It has traveled the world with me!

I'm not naming names, but if you look back over many of my witch pictures, you will be able to see my little buddies in quite a few of them. I hope to be able to use them in the book that I have been writing about the Tarot (of course I have been writing it slowly, because I had hoped to be publishing it long before now!) But they were the cards that told me I was supposed to write the book in the first place!

I would really appreciate hearing about your experience with the Tarot - do you have a favorite deck? A favorite card?

I hope you will join me on this Tarot Adventure!

Village Witch Service

On my business card, one of the services I offer is called "Village Witch Service".  I get a lot of questions about this, people often remark about this and ask what is a village witch service?  I think that is a great question!

In today's hustle and bustle society we often take for granted the natural world that is around us.  And it is that natural world, and the tradition of witchcraft that my village witch service stems from.  I create charms, mojo bags, crystal grids, divination tools and other items that are available for purchase.  In addition, I will sit and consult with you about how to use magic in your life to attract the right energy to a situation.  I will help you understand how spells work, and will even create and cast a spell with you. 

When it comes to spell work, I believe that you should participate in the working - it is your intention not mine, and it is that raw energy needed for the best outcome.

If we can't be together, I will send a video to you with detailed and visual instructions on how the spell is to work.  I have had great success with people working spells this way.  and I believe in each of you, and your ability to manifest exactly what you need into your life!

Reviving My Video Broadcast

This evening I took a free webinar about creating successful online videos.  When I saw the link on facebook, I thought this would be something worth investigating.  It was about 90 minutes long, but very informative.  I am still in fact considering if I want to join the community to grow my business through this venue or not... I only have 72 hours to sign up with the discount. 

I decided I would do what every good, rational person would do - blog about it, and then post it to facebook - find out what my audience thinks!

If you have visited my website, you may have seen the old editions of "The LoonWitch's Cauldron" which ran for a year on The Mystical Moon's "Life on the Moon" TV - I really enjoyed doing it, but it definitely could put a crimp in my style when I was supposed to be at an event, but it was a day to do my broadcast, and I struggled a bit with the technology of it all.  In the end, I took the show "off the air" to work out the kinks.

Based on what I learned this evening, I think I will give it another go - What do you think?  I would love to hear from you!

Readings for a Good Cause

This is the second year that I was able to participate in an "After Prom Party" at a local high school doing readings.  The shop that I rent space at has been involved the past two years, and asked me if I would like to do readings at this event, last year it was a lot of fun, but very tiring - I ended up being the "last witch standing" as I was doing readings while they were taking down the tent and tables around me, but the kids were patiently waiting, and I don't like to disappoint people.

So this year, there were three of us there, and two of us were able to stay for the four hours to do readings until 3:30am.  WHEW!  I had no idea that high school kids would be interested in getting readings, but if it's a free reading, then what the heck, right?  It's something to do.

I believe that "After Prom Parties" are a great idea.  It's been a long time since I was in high school, but I did go to 4 different Proms.  And we won't discuss what we did after the prom - lol - nothing all that bad I suppose, being small town kids... nothing to do around here, as they say.  But I know plenty of kids who have gotten into a ton of trouble after the prom, and I know that this is the time when a lot of drunk driving accidents happen.  I am happy to be a part of a community where there is a commitment to keeping our children safe, and still give them an atmosphere where they can have fun.

I hope that the kids who got free readings from me that night enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed being able to be there.

Good luck to all of the Class of 2014!

xoxo
LoonWitch

Making Moves - Shifts and Changes

Since 2009, I have had a brick and mortar shop in Middleboro, Massachusetts.  And, I had begun to question whether I needed this space to continue my work.  A good friend of mine, reminded me of my long term goals, and my life's work....

Another friend offered me space to rent in her shop, and it was too good to pass up.

My shop, always called The Mystic Room, is now truly a room inside of a beautiful space called III Suns.  And I am happy to be settled into my new space - glad to have my home base, but equally happy to have much less overhead and much more freedom to pursue my dream of traveling to do fairs and festivals!

Change is the only thing that we can rely upon... and although it is often scary, it is always necessary.