Soothing Flowers

Today, I'm creating my favorite balm, Soothing Flowers.  Full of the goodness of Violet, Chamomile, Calendula & Chickweed (when in season), Soothing Flowers is my go-to remedy where skin is involved.


I use this balm for almost everything:

Itchy skin
Moisturizing
Bug bites
Lip balm
Tattoo healing
Minor cuts & scrapes

 

Wherever I am, you can be sure that I have a tin of Soothing Flowers close by.

Wild & Bright Blessings,

Rhi 

Grandmother Oak is Wounded

Today, I felt called to visit Grandmother Oak. She is a powerful & majestic tree that I have been communing with for a while now.  I didn't really have the time to visit, she is 15 miles from home & my schedule has been tight lately.  But, honoring her call, I walked down the path, anticipating our reunion.  I've felt sad all day & thought maybe she was calling to cheer me. 

She & I have bonded nicely over the past year (I can't believe it has been more than a year since we met! I didn't even realize that until I revisited the initial blog post.).  She has given me many messages, including her name.

As I touched her extending branch, something felt different.  The branch moved.  It is a HUGE branch that NEVER moves when I touch it.  "Odd," I thought, "maybe I'm pushing on her."  I approached her mighty trunks, feeling & seeing the energy in her center.

I didn't notice the wound at first.  She was throbbing with energy.  First I saw the pentagram drawn in the mulch that makes up her womb.  "Another witch has found her," I thought.  I felt a strange, sinking sensation & looked up. 

Immediately, I realized that a witch was not responsible for the drawing in the loose mulch.  The numbers 666 were carved deeply into my friend's bark.  Opposite this desecration was an inverted cross carved even deeper into another trunk.  The wounds took my breath away. 

Sacred, holy, ancient.  These are the words I use to describe Grandmother Oak. 

Now, she is wounded, scarred.  These are not her first scars.  A small hart was cut from her bark last year; initials are placed in her skin occasionally.  But these wounds, these marks were of utter disrespect.  Not the marks of lovers or possession, but the marks of anger & rebellion. 

My heart broke.  I tried to send healing to my friend, but felt only empty, tight, constricted.  It is not really Grandmother Oak that has been wounded, it is me.  She will heal as she has before.  She bears many scars, both human-inflicted & natural.  She is strong & resilient.  She knows that time will bring a softening to those who wounded her & will bring protective callouses to her skin.  She is wise & patient.

I feel violated.  A space that I thought of as "mine" has been invaded.  A sacred spot feels vulnerable.

There are lessons here.  I can feel them growing in my chest, but cannot articulate them quite yet.  Before the assimilation of the lesson, I will grieve. 

Tomorrow, I will visit again, though there is little time in my day.  I will leave offerings for the Fae to request a speedy healing of her bark before fungus sets in.  I will meditate & find the energy to send to her.

Tonight, I cannot even cry.  It is just so disheartening.

Imbolc - Fire Festival

Just some inspiration for upcoming Imbolc:

A Witch Is ...

~Author Unknown

a healer
a walker between the worlds
... a weaver
a shaman
a wise one

Witches weave all these thread together. Witchcraft gives you a frame of reference to experience the world by being open to all possibilities. He or she borrows from many cultures and is encouraged to find the path that works for him/her, the individual.

A witch is also ...

a therapist
a priest or priestess
a herbalist
an environmentalist
a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend
a counselor
a researcher
a writer
a psychic
a teacher

Nothing is prevented or forbidden. The path of the witch is the path of knowledge and wisdom. It changes and adapts as new information is discovered. Witchcraft is a LIVING religion.

Kitchen Witch

Every Fall I turn into a Kitchen Witch.  There's something about the change of seasons that brings me to the hearth.

This is also the time I bring the last blooms of the season to my kitchen altar.  Very little about my altar screams witch, but it is my place of celebrating & honoring the bounty in my life.

My kitchen altar sits on a shelf hovering over my medicine-making table.  During medicine-making times I remove the mortar & pestle & place a Moon Goddess as the center piece, add incense & a lit candle.  In the plate she holds, I can place a bit of medicinal herb as a representation of what is to be blessed. 

 

In her place of honor, she transforms a simple shelf into a full-blown witch's celebration!

Goddess presides over & blesses the medicine for my family, my friends & Mountain Gypsy Herbs stock.  When not in her place of glory at the center of the altar, she sits in the medicine cabinet watching over a variety of herbs & remedies. 

As a hidden witch, I need to get pretty creative in how I honor deity, I really haven't had many statues up until now.  But...she called my name, so I brought her home. 

Recently, I stumbled upon Confession of a Kitchen Witch's Kitchen Altar e-course.  If you're new to creating a kitchen altar, it is a lovely start.

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

The Iroquois Thanksgiving Address

Greetings to the Natural World.
The People

Today we have gathered ans we see that the cycles of life continue.  We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things.  So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people.

Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Waters

We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms-waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.

Now our minds are one.

The Fish

We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Plants

Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.

Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs

Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.

Now our minds are one.

The Animals

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.

Now our minds are one.

The Trees

We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.

Now our minds are one.

The Birds

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds

We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.

Now our minds are one.

The Thunderers

Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.

Now our minds are one.

The Sun

We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.

Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon

We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.

Now our minds are one.

The Stars

We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.

Now our minds are one.

The Enlightened Teachers

We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring teachers.

Now our minds are one.

The Creator

Now we turn our thoughts to the creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator.

Now our minds are one.

Closing Words

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way.

To Listen

Listening is a special kind of magic.  It is a blessing we bestow.  A communication of respect.

Everyone wants to be heard.  We are social beings who long for connection with each other.  In today’s hurried world, filled with distractions, being a good listener can be a rare & important skill.  By listening well, we offer others the gift of being truly heard.

Are you a good listener?

Assess your listening skills by thinking about how often each statement below is true for you:

I make regular eye contact with the speaker

I ask questions for clarification

I show concern by acknowledging feelings

I seek first to understand, then to be understood

I respond non-verbally, with a smile, nod, frown, or touch if appropriate

I don’t change the subject without warning

I interrupt often

I jump to conclusions

I finish other people’s sentences

I find my mind wandering or am easily distracted during conversation

I respond to the beeps & buzzes of my cellular phone while listening

I am parental & answer with advice

I make up my mind before the other person is finished speaking

I don’t give any response

I lose my temper        

I think about my reply while the other person is speaking

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of how to improve your listening skills if they are lacking.

Listening is a skill, like any other that can be mastered through practice.  If you are not a good listener today, you can be a better listener in moments by following four simple guidelines:

The Four Basic Rules of Active Listening

1. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood

2. Suspend judgment

3. Focus your full attention on the speaker

4. Allow for silence

If you continue to struggle with effective listening, try this:

• Catch yourself in the act – recognizing your unwanted behavior is the first step towards correction
• Stop yourself! – As soon as you recognize a poor listening habit has appeared, stop yourself, acknowledge the error & apologize “I just interrupted you, I’m sorry” or “I drifted off there for a moment, sorry, could you please say that again?”
• Replace an old habit with a new habit – Focus on one method of improving your listening & work to include that skill into every conversation
• Cut yourself some slack – No one is perfect, self-improvement is a life-long project.  As you find yourself sliding back into an old habit, just start over without condemning yourself

The Chinese symbol “To Listen” has deep meaning.  This lovely symbol explains the difference between simply hearing and truly listening. By integrating representations of not only our ears but of our eyes, our heart, and the selfless act of undivided attention, the Chinese have truly captured the essence of listening. By doing this we show respect and value for the other and leave ourselves open to understanding a larger truth. 

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~