Figs and Wine

So today I'm going to talk about why I"m a Wiccan. I've been a Wiccan since I was around twelve and even though I had to leave the path, or at least make it look as though I had, I still had Wiccan beliefs and I still did things like meditation and focusing my intention. These things you don't need tools to be able to do, but you need to practice and grow. And that does take time. I'm a Wiccan because that's what I feel connected with and what I love to practice. I see the magic in everything and I feel that Wicca is a path that recognizes that and honors that. Now there will be things that I don't agree with or doesn't feel like they mean anything to me. I don't follow the Rede, I believe in balance, and I don't believe in archetypes. I believe in things that can be proven and not just because it's something that others think are great. I love Wicca, even if I don't agree with what other Wiccans believe. And that's just fine.

So I've decided to lose some weight. The reason for this is that I want to be healthy and not end up like my mother. So the first thing that I did was cut out the Starbucks and just drink regular coffee. I'm also going to get something to help me lose weight. Will be interesting and an good offering to Artemis/Diana.

Summer is only a couple of days old and I'm really glad that we finally have some cool weather. It didn't feel as though the gods were hitting us with hot weather. Of course that's not the case in all the parts of the United States, but, at least, we have some relief. Of course I'm not a fool to believe that it will last.

Sometimes nothing will happen and I won't have anything to talk about. Makes me wonder how many times that will happen.

Tonight I celebrated the New Moon and I enjoyed the peace and quiet that comes with it. I honored the gods, gave thanks, and gave offerings. No magical workings, just honoring them.

I decided to spend some time outside, even though I chose the morning when it was still bearable. The weather has been acting like it should, though I do feel sorry for those in Louisiana that's been hit with tropical storm Cindy. I sent energy down there to help those out.

Today was Midsummer and it was one hot day. I mean, not in the morning but it heated up really quickly by time the afternoon came around. Midsummer, as I've mentioned before, is when the sun is at it's height but it will start losing energy as we get closer to the dark half of the year. Me and my mother did enjoy ourselves and I had to wait until the weather had cooled down enough so that I could do my actual ritual. I hope that everyone had a good one.

So I went into work today and I found out that we get paid on Wednesday and not Friday. And while I'm really excited about getting paid two days early I really don't like changes. Yes, I can do things earlier but it takes longer to get things done. Oh and no more paper check, which is the only thing that I like.

So today is Monday and it's another day off. I still can't believe that I'm only working two days this week. I really didn't do anything today, other than wonder how long my boss is going to keep doing this until she gets tired.

Today I went outside, during my ten minute break, and tried to meditate. Have you ever tried to do it when the ground is trying to bake your butt? I know, funny, but it really burned. I'm sticking with meditating inside.

Today is day 17 and today was all about relaxing and recharging. Tomorrow I go back to work and I'm hoping that it will be a good day. I did some meditation, prayers, and then just relaxed. Have a good one.

One of the most important things that you can do when you start any practice is to do daily practice. This can be anything like meditation to just spending time at your altar. Even though I've been back in Wicca for two years I've found that just doing something, daily, helps out. Doing nothing doesn't help your practice.

According to a poster today is the last day to honor Vestia. Vestia plays an important part in my practice. Without her we would have no light and no warmth. Even though she's a virgin goddess she is an important one. I didn't use a candle to end her celebration, but an LED light. I'm avoiding using candles as much as I can. It's just to dang hot.

I was thinking about something that really isn't talked about, unless Halloween, or Samhain, is involved. And that's the dead. Our ancestors, those that lived, gave birth to their own children, thus allowing us to live. I think the dead should be much more important in Wicca then it's viewed. We only care about the dead during Samhain, and that's just wrong. Thinking about our ancestors, trying to prove that they were right in having our ancestors, is important and shouldn't be confined to once a year. My practice includes ancestors and they're always on my mind. As they should be.

Today was a day to focus, to get things done. One of the things that I've allowed to happen is my focus taken away. And what I mean by that is a certain person bringing me down. It has caused me to be back where I was when I first started. Focusing today, especially when the big dogs were there, was the important thing to do. If I can't focus, I lose my job. Focusing is also important in your path and what you do with your time.

So today is day twelve and it's about taking it easy. I didn't have to work today so I spent it taking it easy, meditating, and thinking about things. With Midsummer coming upon us I need to figure out how to best use my time and celebrate the sabbath. And staying cool, that's important as well.

So I was thinking about what I wanted to talk about and I decided that this is going to be it. On another bloggers blog site he talked about the marginalization of Polytheists in the Pagan community. I'm a Polytheist, as I don't view the gods as Archetypes but as separate and real entities, and two years ago they had a discussion about Norse Myth and that, so far, has been the only non-magical thing that I've seen. If your going to be talking about nothing but things that don't appeal to non-magical pagans then your saying that those that don't do magic has nothing to listen to when they go to one of these events. In-fact the only way that you can listen to anything that's non-magical, but connected to what your practices, is to go to a blot or a discussion held by a Polytheist group. In-fact a vast majority of people that go to pagan pride is those that practice magic, believe in archetypes, and believe the gods are like tools. There's nothing to offer to...

So I'm back from work and I want to talk about spending time with the gods. Today it was Jupiter in his Greek form of Zeus. I had a ten minute break and so I went outside and I did a tiny ritual and poured libation out to him. To me honoring the gods is something that isn't confined to the home but is public. People might not agree but that's my view. Anyway, came home and glad to be home.

Today is day nine and today I got a new table. My order came in and I set up my Roman altar and no sooner was it up but my cat decided that it was his new resting spot. The table will be my Roman altar that I will be using. I'm really happy that it finally showed up.

Today is day 8 and today I spent it thinking about one of the most important aspects of Wiccan practice, meditation. Meditation is one of the very first things that you learn. Even if you can't practice at home, meaning you have parents that don't approve, you can mediate. I've been doing this pretty much every day for over two years. Hope that you all have a good one.

So today is day seven and today is about thinking. I'm not working until my pink eye goes away and that means doing a lot of this, thinking. Thinking about my path, thinking about the coming of summer, thinking about moving. Doing a lot of that is what I did today.

Since I'm working today I'm just going to post this and allow blogspot to make it public. Midsummer is almost upon us, in-fact Facebook is talking nothing but about Midsummer. Midsummer, or the first day of Summer, is between the last spring festival and the first harvest season. It's a time that the sun will be at it's most powerful but will start losing energy and the days start getting shorter. Still, it's a great time of the year and one that I'm excited about. The Holly King and the Oak King battle and the Holly King wins, allowing him the rule from Midsummer to Midwinter. I hope that you will have a good one.

Today sucked! And what I mean by that is that I'm sick. I've been sick for almost a week and I'm really hoping that it's ending. Being sick means that I can't do the things that I want to do and my brother can't believe that I'm actually sick. I know that it will pass but, boy, has it been a nightmare.

Today is day four of my new path and this time is getting ready for Vesta. Her holiday is coming up, I don't remember what it's called, and we honor Vesta as the goddess of the fire. At least that's how I honor her. I'm using LED candles due to the heat, as I don't have an AC yet. Enjoy your time with Vesta and may she bless you.

So today is day three of my new path and this one is something that needs to be talked about. One of my pet peeves is when people get offended by every little thing and it's worst when it's coming from a religious aspect. One such person, not going to mention names, is upset with American Gods. She claims that it depicts the gods as needing humans and that humans are more powerful than the gods. I have the book in Kindle and when I read the book I never got that impression. In Egyptian mythology the gods needed people and the people could command the gods to do things as long as they understood the myths and knew the words that made the gods do things. If the people stopped worshiping the gods then they would fade. I'm getting sick and tired of the special snowflakes getting offended by everything. And it makes the person look worst when they are part of the said Polytheists community. At least Neil Gaiman isn't insulting Polytheists like Rick Riordan did. Can you a...

I was reading "Under the Ancient Oaks" and the title above is the title that he used. I'm going to just talk about what I've seen and how it connects to the title. I've been in the Polytheist community for about eight years. I found the community when I left Wicca. Though I will admit that sometimes some of my practices look Wiccan when all I'm doing is trying to figure out how to best approach what I'm doing. In the time that I've been around I've seen debates over the gods and if their real, archetypes, so on. Personally I view them as being real. But my view isn't what makes them real. It's their presence in my life, how I've interacted with them, and how they have helped me. I've asked the gods for help in strength, patience (my present job is very stressful because people want me to work faster than is possible), and protection while traveling. I've done offerings to the Norse, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman gods...

So I've decided to start practicing Greco-Roman Wicca. I've been back in Wicca for two years and this will be a great time to start doing this. Some posts will be done in the morning and some in the afternoon. It might not be all about my path, but just writing something about my day. Since I'm not really doing anything I'll just use this as day one. I spent time deciding if this is the kind of Wicca that I want to practice. I've decided that it is. And so now I'm on this path.

Today is the Kalendae for June. We give offerings to Juno and Jupiter and ask them to make our month good. I'm going to ask them to give me the strength to put up with stupid managers. Tomorrow I'm buying some Roman things and I will post photo's of them when they arrive. Here's a photo of the altar that I use, candles burning, for Kalendae.