Ending 2020

 2020 was challenging to all in so many differing ways. Mostly, we forgot who we were and often abandoned spirituality to dig deep into the survival mode and tough out a pandemic. The year is coming to an end, and we are starting to find ourselves again and develop new routines and a new idea of normal.

Let us revitalize our connection to our spirituality.

Carve out some space for that personal practice, carve it out physically by making a practice space and carve it out in your agenda to make time for you to practice.

January Dark Moon - Morrigan Devotional

Dark Moons - Introspection & Meditation

New Crescent Moons - Momiji Dovotionals

Full Moons - Creativity & Wisdom

And the next Sabbat is Imbolc devoted to Brighid.

Late Summer Reading

Some books that are good to have under your belt when exploring this spiritual path:

• True Magick by Amber K
• Sophia by Caitlin Matthews
• Wind in the Pines by Hirota
• Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
• Inner Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak
• ... anything/everything by Scott Cunningham
• ... anything/everything by Joseph Campbell
• Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Agrippa

Always add something fun to your reading...

... like the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey ...

New Years Eve New Moon

Momiji Rite for the new moon

- Renew/make oaths/vows for 2017
- Adhere to a virtue (first in the cycle) : Active Benevolence & Compassion
- Make a personal choice for the month
- Make an offering to Momiji

What will you do to start off the New Year?

Momiji New Moon Rite for December

For Scarlet, the New Moon is dedicated to Devotions to Momiji.
At this time, Vows are renews (or new one's sworn).
Consideration of a Virtue from among the Bushido virtues lends to the focus of the coming month.
I evaluate the Choice I made last month to see if it was actually good for me.
I make a Choice for the month, something that will benefit me, or help me grow.
Then I evaluate my previous offering I made to Momiji, and make a new offering.

Today.
The vow I renew is my Threefold Vow: Be true to my word, my path, and myself.
The Bushido Virtue to focus on this month is: Benevolence/Compassion.

Through intense training, the Samurai becomes quick and strong. You are not as other people. You develop a power that must be used for the good of all. You have compassion. You help the people at every opportunity.

My Choice is to listen to what Raven advised: Trust. Take things one step at a time and trust that they will work out smoothly, so long as I do not rush and believe in both myself and those around me.

What offering/sacrifice will I make to Momiji? What does she want?
She wanted me to plan something fun that would hopefully draw in children. That project is definitely in the works and out there! But... what now?  Stay the course and see the project to fruition.

New Year, New Changes

So... She assured me that I was on the right path. The afternoon vision was a relief. While things were not working out the way I had initially planned, things were indeed working out, just changed and manifesting in a different way. The initial ideas were but a catalyst to reconnect me to other people, a catalyst to bring me to a special place, a catalyst to walk a path that has been calling me for a very very long time.

Apparently, the vision was incomplete.
Apparently, I was not going to get sleep.
Apparently, she asks for a meet...
... Of the best and strongest links I keep.

So... what is the next step (that I had to be kept awake for till 5am)?

Bring together the people I want to walk this path with. Stop doing it alone. I don't have to do it alone. We are walking similar paths. Time to walk them together. In Service...

In the quiet before the Equinox

Equinoxes bring about change and balance. Everything equalizes. Sometimes that means the few weeks before the Equinox are a flurry of events and activities, chaos and emotions. Sometimes it is like the calm before the storm, everything feels stagnant and unmoving.

Sometimes you have both situations paradoxically at the same time.

The Equinox falls exactly between the Full Moon and the Dark Moon this year. So here are some things to consider for these weeks of energy.

Full Moon
Month of the Ivy: Search for the self, nourishing your soul, inner strength, facing our mistakes, self-evaluation, tenacity, survival, primal, instinctual, ruthless, constricting, breaking barriers, reformulation of reality
Harvest Moon: A good time clean and clear up the issues of life. A ritual for healing old wounds, emotional and physical, forgiving transgressors and yourself. A "letting go" time. Your harvesting the abundance of your soul and your growth, so get rid of that old stuff and make room for the new enlightened you!
You are reaping what you have sewn over the year.

Dark Moon
Introspection. Take some time for YOU, to adjust to the dark half of the year and ready yourself for it. Think about what you have gained and harvested. Think about what you need to cope with the coming darkness and cold.

Moon Rites

Moon rites continue to be a stable of this coven's work. I host Dark Moons and now Full Moons for the public. I am glad everyone seems to benefit from attending them as much as I do sharing them.

Dark Moons: for introspection and letting go (honoring Morrighan & Raven)

Full Moons: celebrating wisdom, creativity, and exploration (Honoring Sophia & Cat)

There is a third moon that I do, specifically for Momiji. I usually do this one privately. Last New Crescent Moon, I hosted it for the public. We all listened to the meaning of vows as my own commitments. Then we considered a virtue: Heroic Courage.

"Courage is not blind, it is intelligent and strong. While always remaining cautious and on point, the warrior is not easily intimidated." http://www.mindbodyvortex.com/the-seven-virtues-of-bushido/

"Bushido distinguishes between bravery and courage: Courage is worthy of being counted among virtues only if it’s exercised in the cause of Righteousness and Rectitude. In his Analects, Confucius says: ‘Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of Courage.’ In short, ‘Courage is doing what is right.’" http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/09/14/the-bushido-code-the-eight-virtues-of-the-samurai/

Along with virtues, we consider choice we make in our lives, choices that will benefit our lives, and encourage out personal growth. My own was to write at least weekly, something that was not WORK or SCHOOL related. Write for the fun of it. This is good for my soul and sometimes I need to remind myself of it.

Finally, we made offerings or promises of offerings to Momiji for the blessings she brings into my life and possibly into the lives of others. I promised to visit the Botanical Gardens and give some energy to the momiji bonsais. I managed to do this on my birthday (July 24th) and made an event of it so that others can enjoy the gardens. It was such a fulfilling afternoon.