Rolling with the Punches

Long time, no blog! Apologies, friends. I blog for Patheos weekly, and between work and life, not much is left between. This blog is to catch you up on the In Between. Not that I think you are waiting with bated breath for my next blog installment here, but I do feel an obligation to record what is going on, in between seasons.

When we last left our story, I had finished up a conference or two. It's been a great year of reaping many seeds planted last year. If I write in a harvest metaphor, it's because we are in Harvest Season, and are about to celebrate the second of three harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year. I take each celebration as a pause, to reflect and review what is happening in my life.

This year is not turning out the way I had thought it would. Not that it's a bad thing, but there have been so many twists and hairpin turns, and almost non-stop planetary chaos. I spend lots of time just catching my breath, focusing on being in the moment, centering and grounding. It has been a challenge, my friends.

My youngest moved to this area and has been dealing with health issues. As a mom, this affects me greatly. It's an excellent reminder to not take health for granted, nor time with your loved ones. He is slowly on the road to recovery, but it has been a challenge on so many levels.

I've written more than I have ever have in my life, on a more consistent basis. I feel like I am finding my voice, and have a wee but lovely following. To say I am grateful about this is an understatement.

I have shed things which no longer serve me, in advance of the trees. It feels scary yet good, to hone in on what means the most to me. It has become my mantra, in a way: family, friendships, work, writing, words, poetry, community. All have woven strong threads in my blanket of life, and symbolizes what remains.

My spiritual practice has deepened, and I am looking forward to strengthening my connection to Brigid via a retreat I will attend next month in Philadelphia. To be out of my usual comfort zone is something I genuinely look forward to, and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

I have been questioning my path, as recently as today, and as always, the Universe delivered. A lovely friend came by and reminded me of my purpose here. Building community, helping, healing, writing, teaching. I am humbled by the timeliness and clarity of the message.

One other thing has been made crystal clear to me: when magic is part of your life (whatever you call magic, or whatever it means to you) you feel a certain sureness and flow in your life. When life seems crazy and off-kilter (as it can be, especially this year) always return to center and do what you do best. Whether it be ritual, candle magic, meditation, honoring your ancestors, communing with your deities or beyond, it will remind you why you're here. And that is very satisfying indeed.

Lammasing

I know, Lammasing isn't probably a word. I like to make words into verbs. Lammasing seems appropriate for this time of year.
Last night, I baked two loaves of bread. Not a huge deal, you might think. For me, it was. I rarely bake, and have relegated most of my cooking to special occasions. This act of baking was special, as I was acknowledging the meaning of Lammas for me. This celebration may be about first harvests, but it's also about loss, evaluating and moving ahead.
As memories pop up on Facebook, I noted that on this day last year, I felt the first stirrings of Autumn, Not yet, not yet! I love summer, and have enjoyed mine. Yet part of me does feel a thrill of anticipation about Autumn. It's a magical time in the mountains, where I am very lucky to live. Not only is the scenery spectacular, but your body can feel the rhythm of the planet. If you listen closely enough.
I was pleased to note I felt the same stirrings two years in a row. This tells my heart that this is where I am meant to be, and this is the path I should be on. I am in tune with my surroundings, the seasons and nature. The loss is noted, and absorbed. I'm at peace with it. I don't resist, and I don't dwell on that loss. I can't stop nature, so I appreciate and acknowledge it.
The bread I made was a culmination of my mental review of the year. Evaluating. What had I accomplished? What did I want to accomplish? What was I working towards? Summer solstice was all about hitting the reset button for me. Here we are, a few months later, and so much has happened.
I have deepened my commitment to my work. It is not only my job, it is the core of me. I build community, I connect people, I build bridges between groups, and I help create with the lovely people who come to our store to buy things to help their lives, need help with problems, or merely want a hug after a bad day.
I have my writings in three books. Small pieces, but it suits me and my pace. A book has been bubbling in my head for decades and it will come out when it is ready. I have learned never to rush my projects or my writing. When I write, it is like a waterfall that pours over me, and the words come out until I feel I have written what I need to convey. It's a lovely feeling, so very satisfying.
I have given workshops and have more ahead of me on the calendar. Again, small gatherings, slower pace, and it suits me. I love the look of excitement when someone tells me they can attend my workshop, and are looking forward to it.
More projects are in the work, and I will share them as time permits. For now, I want to wish you all a good first harvest. I hope your sense of loss is miniimal, your evaluation of the year so far is comforting, and the months ahead fill you with excitement. For a holiday I once mostly ignored, Lammas has become quite the celebration instead. I hope you enjoy Lammasing.

Solsticing

Solsticing!  Have you been doing it?
Summer is my favorite time of year, and this year seems a bit more special. I had mentioned in the past when a deity calls (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/witchindeed/2018/05/when-a-deity-calls/) and a new one has popped up in my life: Aine.  Pronounced Ayne or Awn-ya, depending on where you look. I'd never heard of before, and she crossed my path in my readings about midsummer. Before Midsummer even began.
When a deity finds me, they tend to be pretty persistent. I will notice them everywhere. I was led to set aside a space for her, decorating a small table with my flower crown, candles and assorted crystals. She even showed up in a reading I did for myself. I hear you, Aine.
My message? Celebrate Solstice. Use this season, your favorite season, and get your work done. Ah yes, my work that is never ending. Not just my day job, although that is my calling. My work, the reason I was put here. To help others, to help heal, to help guide. As with other deities that show up in no uncertain terms, things soon started happening.
As one friend remarked, "You've been busy solsticing!" I have. One event leads to another, and I have celebrated with fellow women where our being Queens was celebrated. Rarely have I felt so supported and cherished as that evening, with friends and relative strangers. Onward to an art walk, where I helped lead ritual and was told that I brought peace and contentment to another with my words. Full moon ritual under a cloudy sky with fireflies and frogs croaking.  We drank mugwort tea and called forth Aradia. I helped build community, was part of community, and wove people together in a cozy blanket. Soon after, I helped lead a Midsummer ritual for Mother Grove, as we danced under a sunny sky and lush trees.
What next? Still enjoying this season of warmth. My bones cannot get enough. I felt like I stayed frozen until May. Being outdoors as much as possible. Being full of gratitude.
And then?
Scheduling workshops, formulating plans. I am being called on a journey, to lead others on their journeys. More details as this unfolds.
I hope you solstice. Even if you don't like heat, enjoy cool mornings or evenings. Watch the sun rise or the sun set. Breathe in the scent of summer. The year is whirling by, and soon it will be cool all the time.  Let the warmth soak deep within you. Celebrate anything and everything with friends and family. Savor the moments. That is what solsticing is about.

Conferences!

So much has happened since my last blog entry!

The anthology in which my essay resides (My Wandering Freedom) was published and is available and on Amazon.  It's titled, My Wandering Uterus. I remain in awe.  Many of you kindly purchased the book and gave me feedback, which was lovely.  Apparently I made many of you cry.  My work here is done! Well, not really.  I am thankful my words are in print, and that I got to share my journeys to Ireland with you. I tend to be a very private person, so to share something so intensely personal was quite a journey in and of itself for me. You've made it a bit less painful. Many thanks!

I attended the Sacred Space conference in Maryland a few weeks ago. and presented my workshop on Building Community Among Solitary Practitioners.  I have presented this workshop before, tailoring it to the communities I was presenting it to, in different settings. I was actually happy my workshop was scheduled for the last day, as it gave me time to really experience the conference and soak it in.  First rule of Community Building?  Have a great conference.  And it was, full stop. One of my passions has always been community building.  I have always been a steady networker, because I find people fascinating, and love connecting those with similar interests together.  This workshop builds upon that concept, with ways to get us all connected, even if someone prefers to remain introverted and non-social (I have those days myself).

The attendees of the workshop were lovely, contributing and brainstorming about ways to connect with community.  What I heard was, "life is busy!" but underneath, a true longing for connection.  Happy to say that several people there connected, with plans to meet up again in the future.

A few weeks later, I was pleased to learn this workshop was also accepted for the Mystic South conference in July. Not sure where this road is leading me, except to spreading the word about community building, and how we an do that among our groups.  There are solitary practitioners in all areas of life, no matter the practice, so it's a joy for me to help in building community with some ideas and tips to further that along.

If you had asked me a year ago about giving workshops, I probably would have laughed.  Yet I am thankful for the opportunities afforded me, and look forward to more in my future.

Full Circle on my Wandering Uterus

I am sure the title of this post gave you pause.  Why is my uterus wandering?  How did it come full circle?  Why did it come full circle? What does this have to do with writing or even bon mots?

Let me reveal all.

A bit over a year ago, I received an invitation from my local celebrity friend Byron Ballard.  She asked me to submit my writing for an anthology called My Wandering Uterus.  She had commented on an article about the Victorian idea that a woman's uterus "wandered", which caused her to act "hysterical", or any code word used to describe non cookie-cutter behavior.  From that, she mused about a travel anthology called My Wandering Uterus.  I watched her develop this project with her friend Kate Laity from afar, and was honored that Byron had thought of me to submit something.

But wait. Me? Write?  I have been writing since I was about five years old.  I wrote throughout childhood, listed it as my hobby, and as an adult, dabbled here and there, mostly in journals, a few articles published sporadically.  Never had I submitted something to be published, or worked consistently to finish a writing project.  That seemed like a dream in the future.  Yet, little did Byron and Kate know that I had manifested a desire to write earlier that year.  Not just write, but meet deadlines.  My practical self thought I should start out slowly.  Just meet deadlines.  That sounded easy enough.  And so it began.

The word count daunted me, but I had a great topic. Surely I could expound on that.  I recently came back from my second trip to Ireland within a year, and my journey there had taught me much about myself. As I began to write, I began to weave my story, backtracking to my childhood, my earliest Irish memories.  I had grown up in an Irish neighborhood for a time, was dubbed "Honorary Irish" by my friends, but had never been to that country before my recent trips  How then, did a woman with a German/Portuguese background feel so connected to the Emerald Isle?

Read my essay in the book to find out.  I discovered the threads that tied my journeys all together, from childhood, to adulthood, through love and back to my heritage.  Woven throughout is my passion for freedom and how that ties in as well.  I am honored and excited that my submission was selected. In the meantime, I've begun writing more, and along with my other work (workshops, etc.), I've grouped them all together under the umbrella of the words "bon mots".  Good words in French.

I look forward to sharing my essay when the book is available.  A band of us wandering women pooled our writing to form an anthology, edited by Kate Laity, with a foreword by Byron Ballard.  What an amazing project, a great subject, and such a variety of experiences contained in this book. Details soon to follow!