You cannot live a life lived by someone else... or your own life is fruitless... And who will be there to defend your orchard if you're elsewhere...?
Ok, enough analogies on fruit. I've been thinking on the fact that it's easy to drown yourself in others' mistakes in order to help them. Suggest they get on the ball when it comes to getting that ritual down or they will have a craptastic one at that. Or, watching a fledgling witch learn the response of a binding spell not well thought through or well crafted. You're watching others make mistakes you made or know will end badly and suddenly you're in slow motion yelling in that oh-so-dramatic-run-to-catch-the-falling-dynamite yell "Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
But... you can't. The TNT has already dropped. You aren't going to possess this person and do their ritual for them. You aren't the girl who thinks she may have made a mistake and connected herself through a binding spell to someone that will end up doing what they were going to do in the first place once the spell has run its course. You are the person that doesn't feel like she wants to divine at everything that moves. Ok, I am the person who doesn't divine at everything that moves. I want to help people network and learn from one another.
I'm just a wonky lil witch that likes having coffee from time to time with people and talk experiences and practices with a side conversation of the daily special...whatever random stuffs going on that is.
Time is a construct built by man to understand the way the universe works. Linear, cyclical, tetrahedral, pointed or all encompassing. Whatever it is, I've moved through it and onto another time strand. Only thing is, is we're always doing that. Just this time I'm paying attention.
A woman died in our community. Debbie, Buffalo Dreamer. Not exactly how I was trying to explain the shift in dynamics, but it's a start. She died, and my Sister, Rowena, and I knew that it was our duty to start a farewell wreath that will travel to the loved ones of the lost. She will be the first ribbon tied once we can contact someone close to her and the time is right. The empty grapevine wreath will carry ribbons to remember those departed from this next sun cycle and will be burned in the fire on Samhain. This is just one part of the change...
This change has started slowly, but it is now in blooming. Strange, that as we approach the darkest time of the year, some things open up. I am no longer going to wait idly by for someone to tell me where to go, what to do, how to do it. I'm not going to just listen to my guides and say "That's good and all, but what do I do?" They give advice, cryptic advice for a reason. It is my life and I'm going to live it. I'm going to make a decision and move forward, be it through water or fire. I will walk the blade and study the cultures of my forefathers and mothers. I will try and understand what I can.
This sounds good and all, but what about life? Life...gets...in...the...way... Yes, it does indeed do that. That's why I said walking through fire. I've always backed away from fights...arguments...even debates. I'm not shying away from the words "I don't know." There are things in my life I want to nourish. I'm going to learn from those I call friend and foe, though I have a simple few of them both...and blessed few in the later category. And, I'm going to stir my mind up again. I'm going to work my mind until it hurts, you know that good hurt where your mind connects things it never connected before and for some reason everything tasted like purple for a second. I miss that.
Time to get busy. :) Starting with me, my universe, and I.
You can't change anyone but yourself. You give yourself pain when you try to make another see things your way. Truth in Change comes from within. Change in Truth comes from without. Connect the dots and revel in life, the universe, and everything. :)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Spiced Red Wine
Spiced Red Wine by Rowena Grey
Dry Ingredients:
-Cinnamon (1/2 t. ground and 1 stick)
-Allspice (1 t.)
-Black pepper ground (1 t.)
-Whole cloves (5)
-Nutmeg (1 t.)
-Fresh grated ginger (a dash)
-Brown sugar (1 spoonful)
Liquid Ingredients:
-3 L. red wine (Cabernet sauvignon or Merlot; I used Merlot)
-Honey (4 oz. - 1/2 c.)
-Pomegranate juice (2 oz - 1/4 c.)
-Orange juice (4 oz - 1/2 c.)
-New Moon Water (rain water collected during the new moon) (1 spoonful - optional)
Preparation:
-Pour 5 c. wine from the bottle and set to warm on low heat. Add cloves at this time.
-Grind all dry ingredients save brown sugar and ginger in a mortar and pestle and set aside.
-Mix honey, orange juice and pomegranate juice until well blended; there should be no honey remaining at the bottom of the container. (a fork or whisk is best)
-Add spice mixture to liquid ingredients and stir until once again well blended. This will take some time, but be patient.
-Add resulting mixture to warm wine. Ensure that the wine is ONLY WARM. Steam should rise, but nothing more. Add new moon water at this time.
-Allow wine to warm for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
-Add cinnamon stick and continue warming to allow the flavor to mature. This should take approximately ten (10) minutes.
-Remove cinnamon stick and continue warming the mixture for an additional twenty (20) minutes. This will bring the total warming time to one hour.
Final Mixture:
Once the hour has elapsed, remove the wine from the heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into clean container and pour strained mixture back into the original bottle. Cap bottle firmly and shake well.
Maturation:
Store wine in a cool, dark place for several days, shaking well at least once a day. Re-strain the mixture if necessary and serve warm. (Heating wine over a fire just until steaming or on low heat is ideal)
Note: If you wish to charge your wine with energy, the mixing of the liquid ingredients and the further addition of the spice mixture both provide excellent opportunities for focus.
Dry Ingredients:
-Cinnamon (1/2 t. ground and 1 stick)
-Allspice (1 t.)
-Black pepper ground (1 t.)
-Whole cloves (5)
-Nutmeg (1 t.)
-Fresh grated ginger (a dash)
-Brown sugar (1 spoonful)
Liquid Ingredients:
-3 L. red wine (Cabernet sauvignon or Merlot; I used Merlot)
-Honey (4 oz. - 1/2 c.)
-Pomegranate juice (2 oz - 1/4 c.)
-Orange juice (4 oz - 1/2 c.)
-New Moon Water (rain water collected during the new moon) (1 spoonful - optional)
Preparation:
-Pour 5 c. wine from the bottle and set to warm on low heat. Add cloves at this time.
-Grind all dry ingredients save brown sugar and ginger in a mortar and pestle and set aside.
-Mix honey, orange juice and pomegranate juice until well blended; there should be no honey remaining at the bottom of the container. (a fork or whisk is best)
-Add spice mixture to liquid ingredients and stir until once again well blended. This will take some time, but be patient.
-Add resulting mixture to warm wine. Ensure that the wine is ONLY WARM. Steam should rise, but nothing more. Add new moon water at this time.
-Allow wine to warm for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
-Add cinnamon stick and continue warming to allow the flavor to mature. This should take approximately ten (10) minutes.
-Remove cinnamon stick and continue warming the mixture for an additional twenty (20) minutes. This will bring the total warming time to one hour.
Final Mixture:
Once the hour has elapsed, remove the wine from the heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into clean container and pour strained mixture back into the original bottle. Cap bottle firmly and shake well.
Maturation:
Store wine in a cool, dark place for several days, shaking well at least once a day. Re-strain the mixture if necessary and serve warm. (Heating wine over a fire just until steaming or on low heat is ideal)
Note: If you wish to charge your wine with energy, the mixing of the liquid ingredients and the further addition of the spice mixture both provide excellent opportunities for focus.
For Toadbile :)
Well... I've been doing everything but posting...to most anywhere. I have absolutely no real excuse for this. Pardon the lack of Greyness in your blogging diet. ^_^ I've been lazy...albeit productive in other areas.
Samhain
For Samhain, I co-hosted the first ritual in a somewhat new Pagan networking group for NC called PEER (Pagan Educational Empowerment Resource). There's no hierarchy and it's just a group of us getting together and working on... well educating and empowering others through knowledge... oh and cake. Always cake... Well, to kick off the new group (I'll post our link, just cause, below...) my friend Rowena and I did an ancestor farewell ritual before the bonfire was lit. It was of our own design. We opened widdershins and continued to request the elements attendance. We called the Shadow Raven, a side of the Crone and The Horned One, Hunter and Hunted. We shared cakes and ale in honor of those who had passed, semi-homemade spiced wine (as we didn't make the actual wine specifically) and zucchini bread. We gave some to the Others and especially to ones lost to us. We burned our offerings in the fire. And man, was it a huge bonfire. Then, we danced and...proceeded to get soaked immediately after. The skies decided to wait until we finished bringing in all the ritual bits and bobs to drop the inch of rain it promised in the forecast. It was such a fire, it smoldered till mid-morning.
The only thing that went wrong was the freakin' white sage wouldn't stay lit. It was too damp outside, and perhaps my sage was a little older than previously thought. It smelled good though. I've never had issues with my sage staying lit...till then. If that's the only trick played on us that Samhain, I am happy for it. It was a success and so was the party after. Of course, I decided that the night of a gazillion raindrops would be the first time I slept in a tent...on the ground. Everything got wet save for us (in the wonderfully waterproof sleeping bags) and the tp. Yay, a sense of humor to start out the new year.
Resulting Effects
After calling the Horned One, it is interesting how it might effect someone who has never felt so drawn to Him until relatively recently. Bringing that sort of energy, so golden and resilient yet cool and grounded, into my life has helped me understand more than I thought I might. I've said things I thought I'd never say and stood by them without fear, because I said it through truth and honor. I've been more motivated to work on certain aspects of my life. Sad to say, it is easy for that energy to get away from you. It's like calling on a rushing river and trying to swim through it. It can be done, but you have to know which way the current is rushing in order to move forward. It has helped me become more aware of the parts in my nature that keep me from moving on. I have to deal with it now, or I'll have to deal with the exponentially expanded version later. I've made the decision to ride the Horned One's energies and am enjoying the experience. As, I'd hope anyone who had the experience to do so would. It is easy in this female focused subculture to gloss over the masculine side. I know I am guilty. I just didn't understand the energies until this year. I am glad to say I'm starting to get a pretty good grasp on things concerning the side of the divine known loosely as the Horned One.
I will publish Rowena's recipe for the spiced wine in a separate post for anyone interested in it. Blessings to you and yours.
http://www.peernc.org/
Samhain
For Samhain, I co-hosted the first ritual in a somewhat new Pagan networking group for NC called PEER (Pagan Educational Empowerment Resource). There's no hierarchy and it's just a group of us getting together and working on... well educating and empowering others through knowledge... oh and cake. Always cake... Well, to kick off the new group (I'll post our link, just cause, below...) my friend Rowena and I did an ancestor farewell ritual before the bonfire was lit. It was of our own design. We opened widdershins and continued to request the elements attendance. We called the Shadow Raven, a side of the Crone and The Horned One, Hunter and Hunted. We shared cakes and ale in honor of those who had passed, semi-homemade spiced wine (as we didn't make the actual wine specifically) and zucchini bread. We gave some to the Others and especially to ones lost to us. We burned our offerings in the fire. And man, was it a huge bonfire. Then, we danced and...proceeded to get soaked immediately after. The skies decided to wait until we finished bringing in all the ritual bits and bobs to drop the inch of rain it promised in the forecast. It was such a fire, it smoldered till mid-morning.
The only thing that went wrong was the freakin' white sage wouldn't stay lit. It was too damp outside, and perhaps my sage was a little older than previously thought. It smelled good though. I've never had issues with my sage staying lit...till then. If that's the only trick played on us that Samhain, I am happy for it. It was a success and so was the party after. Of course, I decided that the night of a gazillion raindrops would be the first time I slept in a tent...on the ground. Everything got wet save for us (in the wonderfully waterproof sleeping bags) and the tp. Yay, a sense of humor to start out the new year.
Resulting Effects
After calling the Horned One, it is interesting how it might effect someone who has never felt so drawn to Him until relatively recently. Bringing that sort of energy, so golden and resilient yet cool and grounded, into my life has helped me understand more than I thought I might. I've said things I thought I'd never say and stood by them without fear, because I said it through truth and honor. I've been more motivated to work on certain aspects of my life. Sad to say, it is easy for that energy to get away from you. It's like calling on a rushing river and trying to swim through it. It can be done, but you have to know which way the current is rushing in order to move forward. It has helped me become more aware of the parts in my nature that keep me from moving on. I have to deal with it now, or I'll have to deal with the exponentially expanded version later. I've made the decision to ride the Horned One's energies and am enjoying the experience. As, I'd hope anyone who had the experience to do so would. It is easy in this female focused subculture to gloss over the masculine side. I know I am guilty. I just didn't understand the energies until this year. I am glad to say I'm starting to get a pretty good grasp on things concerning the side of the divine known loosely as the Horned One.
I will publish Rowena's recipe for the spiced wine in a separate post for anyone interested in it. Blessings to you and yours.
http://www.peernc.org/
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