Merry Meet Everyone!

My sweet little Olivia turned 6 years old yesterday. Today is her birthday party - we're having it at the local bowling alley. She went to a friends party in January, which was held at the bowling alley, and she loved it. It was her first time bowling.

So, this ~Witchy Mama~ has to pick up the cake and get thy butt to the party! I will be sure to have an update with pictures when I return - posted on my Independent Mom blog!

I love all kinds of gemstones and if I wear any, I usually try to choose the one that suits what I need at the time. So, yea, I am usually wearing hematite, hahahaha. When it comes to necklaces though, I most often go with my birthstone, which is Sapphire.

I came across these gemstone necklaces and I thought about one for myself and one for Olivia - her birthday is today. She is SIX! She loves Princess stuff and I saw this:

Ultimately, I decided she probably needs to be a bit older before I buy her something like this. I suppose I am afraid she'll loose it. How old is old enough for nice jewelry?

How cool is this dog collar? I would love to get it for Angus - it's perfect for a Witch's dog, hahaha

I was just surfing the 'net when I cam across the site Karma Charms and thought this was pretty neat!

Marzenna (Poland)

Marzenna

Themes: Spring; Weather; Protection; Winter; Death; Rebirth; Cycles; Change; Growth.


Symbols: Doll (poppet); Water (including ice and snow).


About Marzenna: The Polish goddess for whom this holiday is named represents an odd combination of winter, death, and the fruit field’s growth and fertility. As such, she oversees the earth’s transition from death to rebirth and likewise oversees the transitions we wish to make in our lives.


To Do Today: Marzenna is a Polish spring festival during which an effigy of Marzenna is tossed into a river to overcome her wintery nature and ensure that there will be no floods that year. This tradition is likely an antecedent of ancient river sacrifices made to appease the water spirits. Following suit, resolutely throw a biodegradable image of something you wish to overcome this season into any moving water source (even your toilet!). Let Marzenna carry it away, slowly breaking down the negative energy and replacing it with personal growth. Burying an image has the same effect.

To invoke Marzenna’s protection until next winter, write your name and birth date on a piece of paper and freeze it in an ice cube. Keep the cube in a safe place in the back of your freezer to keep yourself surrounded by Marzenna’s safe barrier. Melt the ice cube later in the year if you need a boost of spring’s revitalizing energy.


(c) 365 Goddess by Patricia Telesco - Copyright 1998
Bulletin Courtesy of www.myspace.com/pagansofmyspace

It's finally here - Ostara! The Spring Equinox is such an inner awakening for me!

I really look forward to hearing the birds singing in the morning! I love having the windows open and feeling a warm breeze sweep through the house. I love sitting outside in the evening watching the Witchlets play, they love being outside!

My daughter, Olivia is so excited because Spring begins in the same month as her birthday. I can't believe she will be 6 soon!

May the Balance of the God and Goddess awaken and stir your spirit from within!

The Spring Equinox, Ostara, is upon us. The most potent aspect of this holiday is the balancing of the earth's gravity midway between the extremes of light and dark at Winter and Summer Solstice. In fact, try this:
On the day of the Vernal or Autumnal Equinox, just a few moments before the exact moment of the equinox, go outside with a raw egg. Find a reasonably level place on the sidewalk or driveway. For a few moments just before and just after the equinox, you can balance the egg upright (wider end down) by simply setting it down on the ground.

Another aspect of this holiday is the symbolism of the egg. The egg is one of the most notable symbols of Easter. Now, I was raised Catholic and believe me, I asked but was never told why we colored eggs at Easter, or why there was a bunny who delivered candy to us and I always wondered about this holiday. Easter has adapted many ancient Pagan symbols and customs in its observance.

Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre (the origin of the word "east" comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word "aurora" which means " to shine"). Modern Pagans have generally accepted the spelling "Ostara" which honors this goddess as our word for the Vernal Equinox.

This is how the 1974 edition of Webster's New World Dictionary defines Easter:

"orig., name of pagan vernal festival almost coincident in date with paschal festival of the church; Eastre, dawn goddess; 1. An annual Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, held on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21."

The Vernal Equinox usually falls somewhere between March 19th and 22nd (note that the dictionary only mentions March 21st, as opposed to the date of the actual Equinox), and depending upon when the first full moon on or after the Equinox occurs, Easter falls sometime between late-March and mid-April.

Easter traditions and how they relate to Pagan traditions:

The traditional coloring and giving of eggs at Easter has very Pagan associations. Eggs are clearly one of the most potent symbols of fertility, and spring is the season when animals begin to mate and flowers and trees pollinate and reproduce. In England and Northern Europe, eggs were often employed in folk magic when women wanted to be blessed with children. There is a great scene in the film The Wicker Man where a woman sits upon a tombstone in the cemetery, holding a child against her bared breasts with one hand, and holding up an egg in the other, rocking back and forth as she stares at the scandalized (and very uptight!) Sargent Howie. Many cultures have a strong tradition of egg coloring; among Greeks, eggs are traditionally dyed dark red and given as gifts.

As for the Easter egg hunt, I have heard a rather scary history to this. As with many elements of Pagan "ancient history, " there is little or no factual documentation to back this up. With that being said, the story goes like this:

Eggs were decorated and offered as gifts and to bring blessings of prosperity and abundance in the coming year; this was common in Old Europe. As Christianity rose and the ways of the "Old Religion" were shunned, people took to hiding the eggs and having children make a game out of finding them. This would take place with all the children of the village looking at the same time in everyone's gardens and beneath fences and other spots.

It is said, however, that those people who sought to seek out heathens and heretics would bribe children with coins or threats, and once those children uncovered eggs on someone's property, that person was then accused of practicing the old ways.

The Easter bunny - well this is easy. Rabbits symbolize fertility and Spring is all about fertility and new life!

Source: witchvox.com

Buergsonndeg (Luxembourg)

Nerthus

Themes: Spring; Cycles; Health; Energy; Peace; Prosperity

Symbols: Fire; Chariot; Soil

About Nerthus: This Germanic earth goddess welcomes the season with her presence. She was so important in Danish regions that no weapons or iron tools could be left out during her festivals, because that was thought to invoke her displeasure. During spring rites, her statue was covered on a chariot until the priest determined she had arrived to oversee the festivities.


To Do Today: Traditionally, today is spent before a bonfire that greets the sun and banishes the last vestiges of winter. So, take down your heavy winter curtains, and let some light into the house! This restores Nerthus’s positive energy and expels any lingering sickness. If it’s cloudy out, turn on some lights, don dazzling colored clothing, and find ways to brighten up your living space with flowers and decorations that speak of earth (Nerthus) and spring’s beauty.


Another customary activity is turning the soil, mixing it with an offering of milk, flour, and water. Even if you don’t have a garden, turn a little dirt near your apartment or home and leave a similar gift. This action rejoices in Nerthus’s awakening and draws the goddess’s peace and prosperity to your residence. To take a little of that same blessing with you, just collect a bit of the soil-milk mixture in a container and put it wherever you need peace or prosperity the most.


(c) 365 (Goddess by Patricia Telesco - Copyright 1998
Bulletin Courtesy of www. myspace. com/pagansofmyspace

Full Moon this month happens on Tuesday, the 10th. The March Full Moon is commonly known as the Storm Moon.

I don't know about you, but I'll take rain over snow and ice at this point! I am so ready for Spring!

This month's Full Moon is also known as Seed Moon, Lenten Moon, or Crow Moon.




Correspondences:

• Colors: Green, yellow, light purple
• Gemstones: Bloodstone, aquamarine
• Trees: Dogwood, honeysuckle
• Gods: Isis, the Morrighan, Artemis, Cybele
  
• Herbs: High John, pennyroyal, wood betony, apple blossom
• Element: Water

Source: About.com

I'm just as much of an animal lover now that I have children as I was before I had them - the only difference is that back then I had more time to devote to my animals. I used to have 2 dogs and 5 cats. Now, I have 1 dog and 1 cat - plus a few fish and a hamster. I miss my first dog, Odhinn, and I wish I could have him back. I would at least like to know how he's doing - here's what happened with him

I have Angus now and I love him but he's certainly no Odhinn. Last week we got a puppy and that lasted about an hour. (you can read about that fiasco here) I'm not sure what is going on with me right now - why I am still obsessing over Odhinn. I mean, to the point where I wanted another dog. I know no dog will ever replace him.

I need to get out of this funk! What the heck! I thought I got rid of all the ickies on New Moon! Since I was feeling like this I decided to do something good - this morning I made a donation for Sammy and I just went back to the website this afternoon and saw that they have met their goal money wise! yay!