Woman Speak 3-27-2015

This week’s goddess is Pele, and we’re going to use her energy, along with the element of Fire, to manifest desires and wishes into our lives with a ritual. (Also included, a special thank you to The Spellery magazine for allowing me to be a part of their 1st edition and their magickal launch!)

Annsie ~ Walkin' the Walk (video)

I just found this old video of Anne on her graduation day!  There's a story behind this...Her then boyfriend, now husband-- Joe-- fell on the stairs shortly after arriving at the coliseum.  Just before the ceremony began I was with him and paramedics behind the scenes.  Joe decided to stay so he wouldn't miss Anne's graduation.  The paramedics helped set up a chair for Joe and get him seated on the ground level, just outside the graduates' seating area, and not too far from Anne.  No one had time to find her and let her know what was going on. 

Joe is actually the solitary figure seated against the cream colored wall, just outside the area where the graduates are sitting.  When she returns to her seat, after getting her diploma, you can see Joe waving at her, trying to get her attention, but she doesn't see him.

Anne won't find out until the ceremony is over that Joe is injured. and they leave right afterwards to take him to the hospital with a severely broken leg!  This leg still has pins in it; it was a horrible vertical break in the large lower leg bone.  How this man stood the pain and could sit there through this graduation ceremony, I will never know.  Bless his little heart.



Graduation Part 1: Walkin' the Walk from Amythyst Raine on Myspace.



Graduation Part 2: Receiving the Diploma from Amythyst Raine on Myspace.

Woman Speak 3-20-2015

The Goddess is Copia; the tarot card is seven of wands.  In this episode you are invited inside the Witch's house to snoop in her Magickal Cupboard!  What do you think you'll find?

Ashes to the Wind

I usually try to keep this blog and my "Other Blog" separate, saving this space for the more mundane conventional everyday aspects of life. However, once in a while there's something about the magickal world that is actually fitting for both worlds.  And this is one of those days.

Today is Wednesday, and this is my post, both at my Other Blog and at FB: The Witch's Corner:

Wednesday-- Mercury-- Air...communication. I'm going to write a letter today to someone that I haven't seen or spoken to for a very long time. And if it's someone whom, for whatever reason, I can't send the letter to, then I will burn it in the flame of a yellow candle and scatter the ashes to the wind...knowing they will get the message.

Dear Mom,

It's a beautiful morning here, a little crisp, but it will be warmer this afternoon.  We had a couple days of crazy weather, into the 80s, which you know just isn't right for this area this time of year.  It was sort of discombobulating-- to go shopping one day with the heater running, and the next day it was the air-conditioner.

The kids have grown SO MUCH since you last saw them (about 10 years ago):

Anne (27) is a married lady now.  She is an artist at heart, and this was her major in college.  She has a BA in Studio Art.  I don't know if you've kept up with anything on the internet, but her Apple Heart sculpture is the cover art for my new book.  I love the idea that this project is entwined with both of us, it makes it extra special, and I'm very proud of her.  Her husband is also a "Joe", so it can get kind of confusing; we usually differentiate between "Anne's Joe" and "My Joe".  He's 12 years older than Anne (I know what you're thinking-- Norman was 14 years older than Bonny, I thought about that too), and he's diabetic, so they have lots on their plate to deal with at times.  He is the sweetest man you'd ever want to meet, he loves Anne dearly, and he is so good to her.  He is a wonderful son-in-law, and I'm very happy for them.  They have a lovely apartment filled with Anne's art, Buddhas, plants, paintings, crystals, etc.-- it's very Zen.  Anne is the manager at a local shop here in town (a franchised business), so she has weekly conference calls, regional meetings, and all that kind of stuff.  It's a good job; she's doing very well.

John (25) is still a bachelor.  He has an amazing apartment here in town.  He was on a waiting list for a year before there was an opening.  I'll have to post some photos of his apartment some time.  You'd love this place, and so would Bill, especially with all the books (a virtual library!) and other really cool avant-garde stuff.  John graduated from High School early (as did Anne), and he had an Associates Degree in Computer Science by the time he was 19.  He enrolled at UNO and was going to go further with this, but he didn't like campus life and the rush of it all-- remember, he's not a people person, very introverted, and quiet, and studious.  He works at a Shopko Distribution Center in Omaha and commutes.  He loves this job and has been tapped for managerial training.  No girlfriends as of yet, and maybe there never will be.  He does not suffer fools, and he'd have to come across a girl that was an intellectual equal before anything would come of it.  He's a no nonsense kind of guy.  His companion is a beautiful gray tabby-cat named "Heinrich".

Beth (21) just moved to Omaha last fall with her boyfriend, Dustin.  (You can look two blog posts back and see photos I took at their apartment just last weekend.)  Beth just started a New Job this week, and we're very excited and happy for her-- at JC Pennys, in a beautiful Omaha Mall.  She's thrilled.  Dustin is tackling the monumental job of college and work, and together they seem to be carving out a wonderful life for themselves.  He's studying neurobiology (I think), I'll have to ask again just to be sure.  I looked at his textbooks when we were over there, and all I can say is that it's waaaay over my head.  They seem to love living in the city, and I have to admit that it's fun having a spot over there to call "home" (in a round-a-bout way).  I did an over-night stay with them a few weeks ago, and I told Beth that it reminded me a lot of staying with you in Loveland.  Beth's tastes and house-keeping skills are very similar to yours-- I had a cozy guest bed, and jammies laid out for me, and supper made for me, and treats, and movies.  I actually felt spoiled. 

The "babies" left at home...

Laura (19) works at a local eatery here in town, and she still lives at home.  She has grown into a very independent thinking young woman, tall and statuesque.  I think she's ready to move on to another job, but she's hesitant to give this one up too fast.  Jobs are few and far between right here in town, and I don't think that she really wants to commute to the city-- that's lots of wear and tear on your car, and then there's gas (and gas prices) to think about, and winter driving can be pretty rugged, making it hard to get where you need to be sometimes.  I keep telling her to put in an application at JC Pennys here in town, she's so into fashion and all that, I think she'd love retail connected to clothing.

Sara (17) wants to be a mortician, and she actually got to take a pretty close look into this adventure.  She's really young, though, so I don't know if she'll want to be something else a year from now, but this is where she's at today, and what she's actually thought about for quite some time.  As quiet and introverted as she is, I can see her in this industry working "behind the scenes", not so much with the families.  She's pretty gritty; I not only think she could do it, I think she'd like it.

Emma (14) is still "The Baby" in a strange, not-s0-babyish way anymore (she got surprisingly tall).  She's a lovely young lady who doesn't really know what she wants to do yet, and is enjoying the stage of life she's in.  She adores her big sisters, and they all coddle her.  She's very quiet, or you think she is, until she opens her mouth and something totally unexpected and funny comes out. 

What else...I have no idea if you've followed my blogs or websites, so just a quick fill-in:  All those years of writing and writing and writing in notebooks and sticking stuff in drawers finally paid off.  My fourth book comes out this April.   I've done some radio, which I love, and you can find the podcasts and links at my sites.  We've had some amazing opportunities and experiences over the past year, but I can't tell you about that here-- we'd have to have a more private conversation.  Since I saw you last, Myron and I got divorced, and I'm remarried.  His name is Joe and he's Japanese, more-or-less, until you remember that he has an Irish mother.  We are still in the Same Old House here in Fremont, though we have our eye on California (this is where Joe is originally from-- San Diego), but I told him that I have too big a love affair with Trees to live in the desert, and we'd have to live much farther north.  It's a goal.

I saw photos of you and Bill last Mother's Day, when Susan took you on a swamp adventure.  You've aged over the years (as we all have), but you still look like you (which is a good thing; it wouldn't be right if you looked like someone else!).  I wonder about your health, and the type of house you're living in now, and if you miss Colorado, because I know how much you hated the heat and humidity Down South.  Do you still drive?  What kinds of book stores and shops are you haunting these days?  Do you have any pets now?

We all still fondly remember visiting your pretty little house in Loveland and having Morning Coffee...it was more like a ritual, with the candles all lit, and maybe an hour (sometimes more) spent sitting together around the table in conversation.  The kids all have good memories, and I do too, and I just wanted you to know this.

Love,
Amythyst

Confessions of a Pagan Mom~ Confession #9

How Men Have Influenced My Life

Anyone who follows me already knows how open I am about my life, and you are probably already aware of the fact that I've been married five times.  If you aren't familiar with me, yes, that's five.  Discovering and experimenting to find a compatible mate is easier for some of us than it is for others.  I'm one of those "Others".  For various reasons, I choose individuals who are opposite to me in many ways; or I get wrapped up in physical attraction (when I was younger, not so much now); or I choose people who's families and lifestyles are not compatible with me and my lifestyle-- at all; or I choose people who just don't wind up meshing well with my kids (and who's going to win this contest, duh, it's a no brainer).

Of these five marriages, the first two really didn't inspire any "aha" moments, and were in fact so brief and so long ago that they really don't count.  (Yep, and that's okay-- remember, I'm Pagan, and my philosophy and morality is much more natural and earth based than the general mainstream public.)  The first marriage was when I was a teen-ager and the most memorable (and amazing) thing about this union is a unique daughter who is well on her way to earning her Phd-- couples are meant to meet for a reason, if not for a lifetime.  See the point?  The second marriage, I'm not even sure how this came about anymore, I was in my very early twenties.  I guess because at the time, people my age were getting married and settling down, and I was still skewered to the mainstream societal brick road full of pot-holes, illusions, and warped realities.  I knew this was a mistake very soon, but I still hung in there for just under two years, until it became an intolerable ridiculous situation, only because society gave me the impression that "Divorce" was such a negative thing.  Well, ladies, there's lots worse things in life than being divorced, believe me, and staying in a super-shitty relationship because you're afraid of what other people think is STUPID.  Be gone and good riddance to this one, I finally said.  And whoever the next victim...er, wife...may have been, she has my deepest sympathies.

On to #3...15 years.
Profile:  Eight years older than me, die-hard Catholic with very strong and influential Christian Fundamentalist tendencies; blue collar; extreme miser; ex-marine; unyielding; no sense of humor; hypocritical and holier-than-thou;  believed the Biblical myth that men were in charge and women are suppose to be submissive; master manipulator; a control freak.

In this marriage, I was to learn the true meaning of "The Gilded Cage".  My main function during these years was to stay at home and have babies.  I got to go out for groceries once a week (Thursday mornings), always taking at least two of the kids with me.  I later learned from our oldest daughter that if I were gone over two hours, he would pace the floor ranting and raving that I should be home, that it was my Job.  Anything else that was essential and needed during the week-- milk, bread, meat, etc.-- he would purchase and bring home.  He was incredibly gifted when it came to saving money (because he never spent any on recreation), and I did not lack for life's essentials.  The only thing that I was denied was my freedom.  (And this not only included physical freedom-- no, there were no locks on the doors, but there might as well have been; but mentally-- to have my own views and opinions, and ideas; and spiritually-- to be able to follow the path that was right for me.)

During our divorce, we had a counselor/mediator who told me that the type of control this man held over me during our marriage was actually a form of abuse, and this was the worst case she had ever seen.

On to #4...10 years
Profile:  Four years older than me; came from a relatively wealthy extremely controlling family; a terrible communicator, most non-verbal individual I've ever met; no backbone; miserly, Farm Boy tight with his money; Lutheran background, but open to my paganism; stubborn; didn't attempt to really connect with my kids, viewed them more as an inconvenience that would eventually go away; sports enthusiast, was perfectly satisfied to plant himself on the sofa and watch sports, his main activity.

This was a nightmare in the making, from our meeting when his present girlfriend was in the last stages of a terminal illness, to meeting his family for the first time.  Each one of these sets of circumstances as disturbing as the other.  The girlfriend was a mystery to me, I had to figure that one out on my own.  Why on earth anyone would attempt to start one relationship on the tale-end of a situation like this, I'll never understand, but her demise came swiftly enough that it was barely a hiccup in the road to this relationship.  His family, primarily his parents, were another issue, and this was to drag on with negative effects for the next several years.  Upon meeting his mother for the first time, she not only didn't speak to me when introduced, she refused to acknowledge my presence, and this ridiculous charade went on for a very long time-- years.  (It was funny, actually, to see a woman that age work so hard not to look at or acknowledge my presence in a room-- I really never got the point of that.)

If I had the chance to do anything over, I would have never returned to their neck-of-the-woods after the first time.  It was the most miserable dysfunctional family I've ever met; not to mention judgmental, rude, and insulting.  I'm also amazed, on looking back, how hard I tried to be accepted at first. I bent over backwards in the early years to be friends, to build some sort of relationship. But after so long, and after so many rebuffs, frankly, I just didn't give a damn anymore.  I figured if these people didn't like me for ME, the person that I am, then that was just too bad, and there wasn't really anything I could do about it.  I refused to pretend to be something I'm not.  On the one or two occasions his parents visited, it was suggested to me to remove my pagan books and things from view-- really!-- this was My House; I'd been living here for umpteen years before this man came along.  Remove any evidence of my beliefs, remove the things I cherished and thought were beautiful?  Really!?-- I said "no".  This marriage actually didn't stand a chance because this husband was virtually pitted between me and his family.  He was basically given a choice-- it's her or us.  So I do understand the difficult situation he was in.

This was just one of those "no-win" this is never going to work relationships; and it was best for everyone concerned when it ended.  It just should have ended much sooner than it did.

On to #5...June 7th, 2013- present

Profile:  "My Joe"...four years younger than me, almost a polar opposite on so many levels.

I'm still learning and exploring with this one-- I think Joe will have to be a blog post all on his own someday in the not too distant future-- he certainly merits it. Let's just say that when he was born, the universe broke the mold!  Joe is the most exquisitely unique individual I've ever met.  (Not always "easy", but definitely not boring.)  I like to tease him:  he has a Japanese father and an Irish mother, and his appearance is totally Japanese.  I tell Joe that there's an Irishman in there fighting to get out.

All I can say at this point is-- I saved the best for last. :)

So what have I learned???

1.  Your most precious commodity is Personal Freedom.
2.  Things to cherish and hold in high regard:  your independence in thought, word, & deed.
3.  Trust...be cautious, this is an expensive commodity with devastating results when not handled correctly.
4.  Looks can be deceiving.
5.  Revel in your individuality.
6.  Be proud of yourself.
7.  If it feels wrong, it probably is.
8.  Decide how much ground to give up in an argument and whether you're going to have to wage war someday to get back the ground you gave up.
9. Nothing is final until you sign on the dotted line-- and even then, it's not final!
10.  Don't be afraid to take a chance.
11.  Never give up on love.
12.  Look to the future.

So...How have men influenced YOUR life??

On a Saturday Afternoon ~ photo blog

What do you do on a Saturday afternoon in Nebraska?...We piled into the car, Joe-- the girls-- and me, and we headed into Omaha to spend the afternoon with our Daughter (Beth) and her Significant Other (Dustin). We spent time at their apartment, shooting the breeze, doing makeup (Laura doing mine), trying to make friends with the New Cat, and taking pictures. 


On arrival!...Sara, Emma, Laura, Beth



A beautiful sentiment adorns the kitchen wall.

Pretty things in the Kitchen & Living-room:

 

 

 

A white Christmas tree remains up, in a corner of the living-room, complete with lights (which create a nice glow in the evening).  It's adorned with all sorts of very unchristmassy stuff, including familiar items from Dr. Who.

 

The Bathroom:

Somebody's Rubber Duckey!

The Den:

 

The Cats:

Pooter, a sweet Little Man

Astrid, the New Cat

 



It was a lovely afternoon, which included a shopping trip, and lunch, but the day was passing, and it was soon time to head home.

 

The area around the apartment is a tree-lined
terraced hill, full of squirrels and birds.

 

The sun was going down as we were headed home.  The following photos were taken while we were west-bound on West Dodge Road, Omaha NE.

 



West Roads Mall...Von Maur

We're below the expressway, coming back up-- just because we missed
the expressway exit.  No big deal, you just wind up on the street below.

 

You can click on the photos
to make them BIGGER.

 



Book News!! ~ Yay, Kindle

 

Smiling Author Photo, a must

 

I’m delighted to tell you that The Spiritual Feminist is now available in KINDLE!  I have friends who were waiting for this link, so I’m passing this on to you.  Enjoy!

 

click  Here

 

 

Woman Speak 3-13-2015

The Goddess is Snake Woman, the energy and magick are all about unity and communication, whether women gather for rituals, discussions, or private conversations. I'm joined this week by 2 of my daughters for an UNEDITED round-table discussion.  It's lively, off-the-cuff, and totally unpredictable! Also joining me this week are two black cats:  Dolly & Salem.

Confessions of a Pagan Mom~ Confession #8

Confession #8...My Facebook Foibles :)

I love to look up People-I-Haven't-Seen-In-Years. 

This has been fascinating. Remember, I'm 57, I've had a long time to meet a lot of people.  What's really maddening is when I can still see a face from the past in my mind as clearly as if no time passed at all, but I can't remember a name!  I'm also highly amused at the times I've actually sent a message to a former classmate or acquaintance, only to discover that I've been snubbed, or blocked, or both-- I find this puzzling, but the human psyche is a mystery (and apparently they're not as excited about this as I am).  I've also been absolutely delighted when a chance encounter leads to an incredible connection in the form of FB messages, and in a couple instances, a phone call and a chance to reconnect.  It's priceless.

By the way:  I could've sworn that there was a FB page for Mitchell Senior High, Class of 1975 (Mitchell, SD).  In fact, I know there was, I remember my childish delight upon it's discovery, oohing and ahing over a slew of classmates that I discovered while immersed in a happy daze of nostalgia.  I'm afraid I went slap happy messaging several of these people, my messages exuberant and expectant.  It was fascinating to see how these people had aged, some really well, some not so much (unrecognizable-- I would've passed them on the street).  And to see children (and even grandchildren!), and what they were doing now, what parts of the country they had dispersed to, ad infinitum.  However, my enthusiastic exuberance must have been too much-- this page disappeared, but not before several of my former classmates had blocked me. 

     Karen-- I really wanted to hear the story behind your photo with Paul McCartney!
     Dan-- I remember gym class with you, the last year before Gym was segregated forever between boys and girls.  We were in a race, sitting on some sort of a board with wheels-- we were partners, and I think we won!
     Randy-- first boy I ever had a crush on (Junior High), interesting.  But I would've passed you on the street without recognizing you.  Not that you aged badly, not at all, you just look totally different. 
     LaDawn-- I absolutely idolized your athletic prowess, and the incredible way you could play that ball game and beat the shit out of everyone-- you know, where the ball is attached to a pole by a rope and you have to slap it and wind it up around the pole.  I never won, and I rarely lasted more the 5 seconds, but one day you were so kind, and you played very gently with me for about five minutes so I could get the feel of it at least.
     Mike-- grade school...remember the rule?  When the bell rings to come in, you weren't suppose to throw balls, games were suppose to stop.  You broke this rule and hit me in the nose with a football.   I still owe you one, buddy.
     Jenny-- it's been a wonderful experience to connect with you!  I wish we would've found a way to do this years sooner, to break the invisible high school boundaries of cliques and popularity.  We were kindred spirits and never knew it.
     Kay-- it was a delight, our catch up phone conversation.  You have the same sweet gentle voice that I remember.
     Mr. Miles-- I bought my last horse from you, the last horse I owned before I gave them up forever to stay at home and have babies.  She was our most cherished pet, your little black mare.

I try to connect on FB with local people who are "challenging".

I'm nice-- really, I am.  So I can't quite understand why someone I actually know in real life wouldn't want to be my friend on FB.  In fact (and this sounds so conceited, but I think it's true)...I'm actually interesting, in that I do unusual things and have unusual interests.  I would think their curiosity would be peaked at least.

I've tried more than once with three ladies in this area:  Michele, Amy, & Nancy.

I find this so challenging, and I must be a glutton for punishment, or I'm just really dense, but I gave it a shot again.  We'll see what happens.  Mind you, I don't expect to be Bestest Buddies, or anything like that, but it would actually be nice in some way I can't even define to be connected with individuals within the community.  (I'm not "Typhoid Mary"-- really.  You won't catch witchcraft fever, or develop any compulsive urges to cast spells or tell fortunes, or anything like that.  It's not contagious.)

So there is Confession #8...I'm a FB stalker-- for lack of a better word.

 

Watch out for me!!! muahahhahahah

This is a photo of my FB page-- taken during the writing of this blog post!
 

Edit-- I just thought of something else!... I've been married several times, the result being I have lots of Ex's-- sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws, step-children, and oodles of other connections from those families and those times.  I find it fascinating to look people up from years past and catch up by reading their facebook pages...I don't know if anyone else does this, or it's just my own weird quirk.  I don't generally try to connect with these people, but if I knew they wouldn't be offended, I could happily reconnect and shoot the breeze with any and all of them.  I think it would be interesting.  I don't hold grudges and harbor no ill feelings. (See-- I told you I was nice!)

Woman Speak 3-6-2015

This week the goddess is Airmed.  The topics are herbs and green witchcraft.  Our project-- we're going to create a Witch's Bottle for Love Magick.  You'll also find a section at this video on precautions for love magick, encouraging common sense, as well as the use of mundane efforts to keep your life running smoothly, and to keep yourself safe.  The National Domestic Abuse Hotline number will be found at the end of this video.

 

 

Paranormal Quest, video blog

I started a new video blog series at my Youtube Channel:  Paranormal Quest.  We started off the first episode last night with an evening session on a Ouija Board.  The following video is the result.

 

 

The Spellery...New Pagan Magazine!

I’m VERY PROUD to be featured in the first edition of this NEW PAGAN MAGAZINE:

 

 

The Spellery

 

 

Available in Digital or Print

 

 

 

 

The Spellery: FB Fan-page