cleansing

My adventures in Hellenic Polytheism have taken me deeper and deeper into the aspects of creating ritual and relationships with the Hellenic gods. Most of what I am reading states that in Ancient Greece one must purify him or herself before approaching the gods. I am also finding sources that state one must purify before prayer to the gods as well.

I do enjoy the ritual bath before ritual. I like cleansing myself before approaching the gods. I like feeling clean and looking nice when approaching my gods.

However, where does personal prayer fit in? I like to pray and speak to my gods informally before I go to bed. It makes me feel good inside and also it helps me keep the connection to my gods. I don't think you need to cleanse and purify yourself before these quick and informal prayers, but I do think you should keep to ritual cleansing before offerings are made and ritual is performed.

I like the balance of the two.

I cleanse and purify using salt that I have consecrated for ritual use. I have a bowl used solely for cleansing and I use spring water, or any water collected from a natural source. I pray over the water and cleanse my hands and arms up to my elbows and sprinkle some over my body and head. I also like to brush my teeth and wear some nice smelling oil.

The salt I use is natural coarse sea salt from Sicily which I've purchased at a supermarket. I have tucked a bay leaf into the jar and have prayed over it.

I do this sort of cleansing before offering rites if I don't have time for a bath or shower.

A cleansing/purifying bath is made using dried Hyssop or Bay. I like to do a cleansing bath before major rituals and when I have time before offering rites. I also like to do this every once and a while because it feels good.

A book that has helped me tremendously in cleansing and purifying is "Spiritual Cleansing" by Draja Mickaharic. In this book you'll find many easy to do cleansing baths, rituals, and ideas. The items called for in the book can be found at your local supermarket. That's what I love most about this book. The ease of the work and the simple ingredients.

May we all be cleansed in body, mind, and soul!

community

I have found community in folks who don't live in my immediate area. I've often felt like I'm missing something because I don't have a large group of people to worship with. This feeling comes and goes, but now I feel connected to all sorts of folks.


I have several people who write amazing blogs that I check very regularly. I get little pieces of knowledge that burrow into my brain and keep me thinking for days. I feel connected to these folks even though I am not close in proximity. I always learn something new when I'm not even trying to.

I'm studying a lot about Greco-Egyptian Polytheism. I am LOVING it. I am loving what I am learning and it feels so comfortable to me. The elements just fit together and the daily/weekly ritual I've been working flows so nicely. The Deities I've been coming in contact from the Greek and Egyptian pantheons are amazing and I'm feeling them so strongly. It just MAKES SENSE. This system makes more sense to me than anything I've ever studied in the past.

Now it's just to figure out where my magical practice fits into my religious practice. To me it should just flow, and its starting to. I'm starting to see how things should be. I'm finding the right articles, books, and blogs at all the right times.

It feels good.

my muse

Tonight the wax from the candle I set atop my sugar love jar turned into a heart. When the candle was through, I took the wax off and annointed the heart, put it in a little package surrounded by rose petals. I placed the love package into a box with rose petals from the jar spell and pieces of wax. This will be my love box. I will put in notes, pictures, herbs, charms, and anything else my muse wants.

Aphrodite is my muse.
She is beautiful, coquettish, adorable, and oh so fun.

talking to roots

I found a rootworker in the area who has been gracious enough to take me on as an apprentice. We've met once and I helped him with making condition oils and then we had a lesson on mojo bags. It was excellent.

Tonight is the full moon, on a friday. This was Aphrodite's night. I worked a sugar jar and fixed a red candle for the queen. Isis was in attendance as well. The energies felt electric and cooling all at once.

+++

Hymn to Aphrodite
by Sappho

Leave Crete,
Aphrodite,
and come to this
sacred place
encircled by apple trees,
fragrant with offered smoke.
Here, cold springs
sing softly
amid the branches;
the ground is shady with roses;
from trembling young leaves,
a deep drowsiness pours.
In the meadow,
horses are cropping
the wildflowers of spring,
scented fennel
blows on the breeze.
In this place,
Lady of Cyprus, pour
the nectar that honors you
into our cups,
gold, and raised up for drinking.
Evening Star who gathers everything
Shining dawn scattered—
You bring the sheep and the goats,
You bring the child back to its mother.

the muse struck....

sky goddess. star goddess.
moon goddess. night goddess.
stretch your celestial body
over your children.
mother night, waft your cool
jasmine scented breezes over us.
the sand is cool beneath my feet.
the air caresses my cheeks as i
wait for you.
you who knows all the answers
of all the questions.
the well is as deep as
the universe is large.
modern hands beat ancient drums.
the call has been made.
my fair everlasting muse!
play your lute for me!
you beckon to me like an insect who
cannot resist the one perfect beautiful rose..
i am yours.


+++

woman of the wild
wise woman, witch woman
night woman, plant woman
celestial body
earthen body
land. sea. sky.
love. hope. peace.
meet me at the sea,
at the forest, in the grove,
windy mountain peaks and hidden caves.
i will be there when you call.

+++




ancient night
full white moon
ready for movement.
the lady watches
the nymphs dance
waves crash.
hair of spun gold above
sonnet worthy eyes
and a voice like a symphony.
the winds carry her song
east - south - west - north
round the circle we go.
she holds the key to unlock
the hidden door.
aphrodite. diana. freya.
whisper your secrets to the wind
she will hear them all
take the key.
she is waiting.

++

aphrodite incense
rose petals
lavender
clove
frankincense

- equal parts of all. I like to keep my ingredients a little rough, not ground into a powder. the rose petals work best crushed a bit fine.
this is my personal recipe. do not steal the recipe, but you may use it in your personal works.

movement

In my last post here I stated that I wanted to be a better blogger. I didn't do to well with that intention, so I want to begin again.

Since the last post I sold my house and moved in with my family, broke up with my boyfriend, and went spiritually "quiet" through the summer as I got myself back on track. I just started working day shifts at the hospital after working nights for over a year. I felt the night shifts were damaging my psyche and my drive to do pretty much anything. I was constantly tired.

I've been on day shifts for almost a month now and sleeping at night is getting easier, and I'm feeling a lot better. The fire for my spirituality has been re-lit and there are so many things I want to learn and do.

long term goals:
learn a divination system WELL
find people locally to celebrate and ritual with
find someone local to agree to let me apprentice with
take and complete Lucky Mojo's Hoodoo Correspondance Course
open my own botanica on etsy, hopefully if all goes well to transition to a storefront!!

short term goals, or things I'm working on:
daily meditation practice
banishment candle spell to get rid of feelings for someone
work on my recipes for the botanica
make protection mojo hands for my son and me
make protection / success / courage body wash for my son
make psychic power mojo hand
money stay with me candle spell
study local plants and trees
collect local wild herbs

winds

the winds are brewing outside. they are making the eeriest noise. we don't get winds very much down here on the beach.

i've been researching a lot about air the past few days in anticipation of beginning to study with an amazing woman. i am starting to build a real spiritual practice.

i have also been reading a lot about oya. she is the mother of the winds. the swirling chaos of storms and lightning. oya is the destruction and rebirth. change from chaos.

oya protects her children but doesn't baby them. she shows you that you need to be able to stand up to some serious shit. she can teach you how to protect yourself. that you are a priestess of your home.

i realized that i am a little bit afraid of this. i pondered this and asked myself why this would be. i was afraid to be torn down with nothing left. it is then that i realized that i am a strong woman with a strong foundation. i can do this. i want to do this. my foundation is strong if i pay attention and work hard. i will study and do things right.

the fire inside is burning so strongly.