Wishing Wand Wednesday: A Fond Farewell, Ultimate Blog Challenge!!!

Wishing Wand Wednesday

Once upon a time, I wanted my very own magic wand...

I wanted my own fairy godmother, and I wanted a way to make my wishes come true. Luckily, I have discovered that wishes really can come true.

So each week, I have been having my own wishing extravaganza here. And I have my very own magic wishing wand...

This week, I am saying goodbye to the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Wow, the month went by so fast, didn't it?

I had a great time!! I got well over a 1000 pageviews this month, so I heartily recommend it to other bloggers who didn't try it this time. And I met so many wonderful new people.

My wish for all of us this week is that the benefits we received from this challenge will be evergreen. More traffic, more comments, great connections with other bloggers, and the fun of writing when you know someone will read what you've written. See you guys next time!

What are your wishes this week?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Feminine Face of God: Pandora's Box?

The Feminine Face of God

In this book, one of the great points the authors make is that in most heroic tales involving men, opening the secret door to knowledge leads to wisdom and maturity and dreams coming true. But for women, the secret key (or secret knowledge) opens the door to a world of trouble!

"Portrayals of women as the holders of keys to locked doors behind which lie demoniacal forces, sin, and death abound in our myths and stories, both sacred and secular. And the message that these stories communicate is that women are innately connected with evil and darkness: when our questioning leads us to oppose male authority and open closed doors, all humankind must forever suffer for our disobedience. Is this the lesson we'd learned about the consequences of asking questions, we wondered?" ~~p.80

Indeed! And is that the truth about how things work in our world?

Perhaps we do face "trouble" when we ask questions, decide to determine our own spirituality, or reject a mainstream spiritual viewpoint. But it is nothing like the forecast above or that we learned in myths.

And in this book, they tell the stories of women who forged ahead, asking anyway. Who developed spiritual practices that worked for them and created a spirituality that empowered and nurtured them.




I highly recommend this book! Thanks for letting me share it with you this month.

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Moon Phases for this Week: Third Quarter Moon & Waning Crescent Moon

Third Quarter Moon & Waning Crescent Moon

This week, the moon is heading back toward darkness during the third quarter moon and waning crescent moon phases.

“The waning moon, when it is shrinking back down towards the dark moon, is the best time for cleansing, banishing and completion. If you want to bring something into your life at this time, focus on banishing its opposite, as that is supported by this moon phase.” –Lucy Cavendish

The Third Quarter Moon Phase

(photo credit: jb.man.ac.uk)

This phase is ideal for actually creating a letting go ritual or release ceremony. When you think about the intention you hope to bring to life, and the healing work you've done this month to empower it, is there anything you need to say a final goodbye to?

Anything that needs to be released in order to pave the way for your intention to be actualized?

Write that down, whatever it is, and put it on your windowsill tonight.

And this is the phase that completes the work of your moon month, so once you are done with letting go, you can spend the next few days celebrating the work you’ve done and anticipating all the good that will come your way as a result.

During the waning crescent moon phase, which starts this Thursday, you can begin to think about the next month's work.

And then, rest. This part of the moon cycle lasts five days and offers built-in hibernation before gearing up for the next big thing you will do. Though you can choose your next goal, it’s not time yet to do anything about it. You still have time for rest and renewal before creating the next transformation.

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Prosperous Priestess: Finding Your Life Purpose

Finding Your Life Purpose

We've been looking at The Prosperous Priestess Handbook, by Lisa Michaels, and in this part of the book, she talks about how to pursue prosperity as a priestess. I like that though she identifies the priestess archetype, she doesn't assume that the priestess will pursue a spiritual career path.

Where are you in the process of identifying your life purpose?

She talks about the life purpose as something that continues to unfold. That has been my experience over the years. Has it for you?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Weekend Faerie Reading: Sanctuary

Weekend Faerie Reading

HER SPECIAL PLACE

Find Your Own Safe Space

"Sanctuary, solitude, and an oasis in which to hear the sound of your own heartbeat. A sweet & safe place you make time for yourself. In order to know our own truth, we need that place where we can safely be on our own, to revel, dream and be. We need this safe space more often than we think, and you need it now."

What this might mean:

(1) Need for a haven or sanctuary, a time of introversion.

(2) Might also signal improvement in health issues or emotional issues because of work you've already done to create a space within which you are treated with love and respect.

Have a great weekend!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Weekend Reading: The Faery Tale

Weekend Reading: Faery Tale

"Engaging and full of heart, Faery Tale shares one woman's story of rekindling that spark of belief that makes even the most skeptical among us feel like a kid again." ~~Faery Tale, back cover description

This book captivated me every time I picked it up! I heartily recommend it as a beach read, a book to enjoy while drinking a cup of tea or a great way to while away the afternoon this weekend.

I loved it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Daily Spiritual Practice: Creating an Altar

Daily Spiritual Practice: Creating an Altar

An altar can be a great support for your spiritual practice but it offers a place to group together things that remind you of your faith or support you in it. For example, the altar in that picture used to have spiritual books on it and I often grabbed one each morning when I first got up.

Then, this summer, I decided I wanted to try it without books and I gave it a sort of goddess-y, priestess theme as I re-created it. My books are now in the chair next to it because I haven't figured out where else to put them. :)

This altar will stay in place for at least the summer season, but they also can be temporary. I have friends who create a new altar for each season and others who do so for each holiday they celebrate.

I have another altar that shifts, at least a little, each month, to reflect whatever my focus is going to be for that moon cycle.

Have you ever created an altar?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wishing Wand Wednesday: Let's Stay Together...

Wishing Wand Wednesday

Once upon a time, I wanted my very own magic wand...

Influenced by Samantha Stevens, Jeannie and her handsome Major, and Cinderella's own fairy godmother, I wanted my own way to make wishes come true. And then, I discovered that wishes really can come true.

And I found Jamie Ridler! Most Wednesdays, Jamie suggests that we make wishes and she offers a prompt to help us do so. If we post our answers on our own blogs, we can link up to the wishcasting party on her website.

So I decided to have my own wishing extravaganza here, and even if she takes a week off or two, will still offer to send out energy on your behalf, wishing along with you for whatever you'd like to create in your life. And I have my very own magic wishing wand...

I am still wishing right along with you, by the way!

This week, I am hoping to continue reconnecting with some of the wonderful people I met during the last UBC. And I'd love to keep meeting great new bloggers, as well. And I guess my fondest wish would be that some of us would maintain these connections even after the challenge ends.

What are your wishes this week?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Feminine Face of God: Leaving Home

The Feminine Face of God

The women at Your Inner Goddess Circle are reading this book, too, and in this video, Megan continues the discussion we started last week about how spiritual growth and transformation often starts with a profoundly disruptive loss of what once made you feel secure. The promise is that eventually, just as is sometimes true with knitting or other craft projects, what is being pulled apart will be put back together in a new, even stronger, better way.

Have you experienced that kind of tearing apart to be remade new in any area of your life? I have experienced it almost every time my faith or beliefs shifted in a major way. I completely agree about both how disruptive and disturbing it is in the beginning, and how the end process feels like a better creation than what I had before.

Has it been that way for you, too? 

"Each woman leaves home in her own way. However, each of the women whose stories we have told found ways to be faithful to what was coming into form and emerging from within them. Moreover, this faithfulness did not spring from any idealized notion of what she should do or be or believe. It came through risking 'encounters at the edgelessness of reality,' as Meinrad Craighead puts it, 'facing the anxiety of the uncertain and ambiguous' and learning to trust the process unfolding through her own life." ~~p.71 

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Moon Phases for this Week: Full Moon & Waning Gibbous Moon Phases

Full Moon & Waning Gibbous Moon Phases

Welcome to the full moon!

Starting today, you can give it all you've got to create exactly what you want and the moon will support you. This phase is the most magical and powerful moon phase for creating, for healing, and for manifesting your intentions.

So this is the moment to give it all you've got. And because you have dealt with whatever was blocking you, all of your energy can be directed at this intention.

"The three days of the full moon -- the day of, the day before and the day after -- can be used to boost any intention or project. This phase represents achievement, culmination and abundance. The world is filled with energy and potential, and it's a great time for healing work and manifestation." ~~Lucy Cavendish and Serene Conneeley

Toward the end of this week, on Thursday, you can begin to check in with yourself about what you accomplished during the full moon extravaganza. The waning gibbous moon phase, starting on Thursday, is a great time for reflecting on what you've done this month as a whole.

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Steampunk Druid Priestess?: The Secret Order of Steampunk Druids

Secret Order of 
Steampunk Druids

(photo credit: Tea Lover's Corner)

(photo credit: Heidi's Hubbub)

"Steampunk is evidently not just a weekend diversion, it is a subtle and complex plan to recreate the world in a much more interesting and enlightened way. With more tea. I want in. [me, too!!] The Steampunk community does not suffer from a shortage of authors, and even my passable knowledge of period literature isn’t anything to get excited about. What Steampunk does not have, is Steampunk Druids. Which is curious because there are plenty of real-life Druids who are also into Steampunk in a big way. There is just nothing organised. No Tea Army equivalent. Yet." ~~Nimue Brown

Best thing about being a steampunk druid: the tea and the magic! Plus, you get to give yourself whatever title you want. So, mine:  High Priestess of the Secret Order of Steampunk Druids. :)

What would yours be? And are you in? Initiation is your own steampunk druid tea party!

(photo credit: Pinterest)

More Info...

http://alisonleighlilly.com/blog/2012/steampunk-druidry-for-social-revolution/

http://www.steampunkcanada.ca/apps/blog/show/19252985-steampunk-druids

http://druidlife.wordpress.com/secret-order-steampunk-druids/

http://www.thesteampunkempire.com/group/steampunkteaculture

http://druidlife.wordpress.com/tag/steampunk/

http://druidjournal.net/

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Weekend Faerie Reading: Into the Woods

Weekend Faerie Reading

INTO THE WOODS

(photo credit: daily-tarot-girl.com)

You are in a time of transition.  Moving between worlds & maybe far from your comfort zone. So keep going, through this time of awkward vulnerability because you will eventually get back to a time and place when you feel sheltered again.

Your purpose will begin to reshape itself, hope and faith will replace guilt and fear and your dreams will be recreated.

Keep walking, move beyond your comfort zone, allowing the discomfort. No turning back. The promise is that there will be great rewards for doing so, including a flowering of talent & skill.

So what do you think? Does that resonate with you?

Have a great weekend!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Weekend Reading: The Path of Druidry

The Path of Druidry

"Practicing Druid Penny Billington offers a clear and structured course of study grounded in Celtic history and mythology, and highlights the mysteries and modern practice of this nature-based tradition. Each chapter begins with an evocative visualization and captivating Welsh mythic tales from the Mabinogion are woven throughout, introducing lessons and key concepts. A series of hands-on exercises will help you internalize these truths, develop a spiritual awareness rooted in nature, build a relationship with the multi-dimensional world, and ultimately adopt a druidic worldview to guide you in everyday life." ~~Llewellyn Worldwide

I adored this book, and here's more information about it in the video. She pronounces "druidry" differently than I do, but other than that, gives a great idea of what to expect from the book.

Have a great weekend!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Daily Spiritual Practice: Contemplative Prayer

Daily Spiritual Practice: Contemplative Prayer

Last week, we talked about prayer as a way to address the parts of ourselves we may not like as much as others. This week I want to talk about a kind of prayer that I think is important for mystics and healers: contemplative prayer.

Contemplative prayer can be thought of in two ways...

(1) One is the act of visualizing the thing you want to pray about and imagining the divine joining you as you look at it and enfolding it with love & healing.

This way is great for mystics because it can happen entirely without words and with imagery.


(2) The other is the act of spending quiet time just hanging out with the divine. No conversation, just practicing the presence of God. Or Goddess. Or Spirit. Etc.

Both can be done every day and both can be brief. And yet, they offer a powerful way to connect.

Some people, when practicing contemplative prayer, finds it helps them to hold on to something, like a crystal, prayer beads, or like my goddess wand there.

Have you ever tried contemplative prayer, and if so, how did it go? What was it like for you?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wishing Wand Wednesday: Let Me Know What You Think :)

Wishing Wand Wednesday

Once upon a time, I wanted my very own magic wand...

If Cinderella could have her very own fairy godmother, I wanted one, too! But mostly, I wanted to find a way to make wishes come true. I had to grow up before I could discover that wishes really can come true.

So I decided to have my own wishing extravaganza here. And I have my very own magic wishing wand...

What are you going to wish for? I am wishing right along with you.

This week, I am hoping for an increase in comments here at this blog. One of the things I loved most about the UBC in April was that I got more comments on my blog posts than I had before the challenge. Fingers crossed and magic wand waved for that to continue all month during this challenge.

What are your wishes this week?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Feminine Face of God & Total Disruption

The Feminine Face of God

One of the issues the authors examine in this book is the difficulty we sometimes face as women in transitioning from attending towhat we've been told about spirituality, about God, about life and the way the world works, to listening to our own inner wisdom...

"...another reason why it is so difficult for women to trust their own truth and why it has taken us so long to begin our search for spiritual authenticity: We might have to let go of certain 'authoritative truths' which, even if we cannot make them fit with our experience, have nevertheless given us a sense of security." ~~p.18

"What we have learned over the past four years is that stripping away the layers of encultured patriarchal values and beliefs is a profoundly disruptive process. One reason for this is that when we let go of authoritative truths that have made us feel secure in the past, what arises in their place is great uncertainty." ~~p. 18

But they go on to say that the willingness to go through that disruptive process is what created such profound transformation for so many of the women they interviewed.

Have you experienced that kind of transition or disruptive process in your own spiritual life?

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Moon Phases for this Week: First Quarter Moon & Waxing Gibbous Moon

First Quarter Moon & Waxing Gibbous Moon

This is a week for healing. For identifying whatever is in the way of making your intention come true and kicking it to the curb once and for all. Or, at least, getting a really good start at it!

(photo credit: pa.msu.edu)

The first quarter moon phase starts today and during this moon phase, you identify the fears and blocks that might be holding you back or that might get in the way of manifesting your intention.

What are the fears, the limiting beliefs, and the unhealed memories that, so far, have blocked you from creating this intention and bringing it to life? What's in your way?

Once you have identified what's in the way, you can use a healing technique or create a ritual to help heal it, so that when the full moon phase gets here, you can empower your intention without any blocks or baggage.

Toward the end of the week, on Thursday, you can use the waxing gibbous moon phase as a sort of self-test to see if you've healed what you needed to this week. Do an intuitive reading or pay close attention to your dreams to see if you missed anything or if you're ready for the full moon extravaganza!

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Priestess Archetype: Trusting Your Wisdom & Experience

The Priestess Archetype

The last point I find really important, about not needing anyone else to be a go-between in your relationship with the Divine. In my own spiritual experience, I can remember not trusting my own connection with the divine, and instead, I relied on what I heard in church.

Which meant that experiences that seemed different than what was traditional or prescribed were not to be trusted. I've learned as I've gotten older that trusting my own wisdom and experience is important.

Have a great day!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

What would it be like to design a daily spiritual practice

that's perfect for you because it's based on
who you are at the core?

Take the Mystic Quiz and discover the mystic within

who has been waiting to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~