the flame

My element
FIRE
my spirit
DESIRE
my stability
STRENGTH
my reverence
CHANGO

You are my strength. I bow to you. You are my humility. I stand for what I believe. You are my desire. I embrace life. You are my beginning. I shall rise from the ashes. In red. In white. In the fire that burns bright. There we dance. There I learn. Within your flame, within your touch. I succumb. In twirling fever that burns the night. In desires that bring on the light.

Equality

Twice a year our time is split down the middle. Twice a year day and night share time. Twice a year there is rest in the sky. The day is no longer besting the night. The night no longer overwhelms the day. A mutual decision is made between the light and the dark to share this world. To rest before one, once again, will over take the other. Drowning the world in one complete brilliance of the light or one complete shadow of the dark. This is the day. This is Fall Equinox.

I wonder, as we emerge through and out of this reality, how it effects the subconscious of humanity. Were there less fights and more agreements? Perhaps some marriages recovered from divorces? Did we all tend to see the other persons point of view a little more clearly today? Was there an over all ease around the world? Less of a tug a war and more of a rest? As the day and the night are considered equal on this day, do we see each other as equals as well?

Equals for a day. Before tomorrow brings on the struggle once again. A never ending chase with the dark overpowering the light and blanketing this side of the earth in it's velvety embrace. Holding us close, teaching us the lessons that only the shadows can know. Bringing us closer to eternal rest. Eternal slumber.

Fire is

strength desire cleansing
motivation self motivation
energy dance motion change
transition rebirth

I decided to restudy the elements. When I mulled over where to start I began thinking about the seasons. I'm all for tying things in together. All things must be related in one form or fashion. Which lead me to connect Summer with Fire. Here in Arizona the summer is so hot it feels like fire. A fry an egg on the asphalt kind of hot. A heat wave rising from the street kind of hot. A burn your hand on the steering wheel kind of hot. A stay in the sun too long and your skin will begin to melt kind of hot. All that relates to the heat of fire kind of hot.

However, as I concentrate on bringing Fire into my life, breathing in the energy, studying, discovering and working with it, I realize that their was an underlying reason I picked this particular element at this point in my life.

It is the change that I so desire. The motivation that I need to follow through. The constant movement to keep me focused. Giving me the strength to burn away that which is no longer wanted. To be reborn. Renewed.

This is the Time of Fire

There is a time of Water and a time of Wind.
This is the time of Fire, and Fire eats time.
The sands of the desert are uncountable!
Let go of the reckoning! Let go of time!
Let go of rain! Let go of forgiving!

Fire eats rain and Fire eats trees. Fire eats
The leaves of corn. Fire is the grain and the husk
Of corn. Fire is the raging of Water. Fire is the roar,
the hum, the sting of Wind. Fire is the pepper pulsing
from the flower. Fire is the frenzied volcano dancing.
It is the lightning's blitz, the drumming, the singing,
The beat of tribes, telling their story all night,
Piercing the bottom of dark, birthing the light.

Fire is the Earth exhausted, folding, sleeping
from days and nights of love, 'til there is no counting.
When flowers bleed, when lions sleep, when angels sigh, oh bleed, oh
sleep, oh sigh then! Oh, burn with mountains!
When leaves flame and fall to the ground,
When grass grows brown then gray, grieve not.
Grieve not, but follow the eagle and follow the grass.

Weep not for the Earth. Weep not for the corn.
The Earth is the lover who gives all to love.
The Earth makes a bed of Love and the Sun knows.
The Earth makes a table of Love and the Fire knows.
The Earth feeds Fire. The Earth gives all to Love.
Follow the Earth. Look beyond your eyes as you go!
Follow the Earth to the beat of the Fire!

Elaine Maria Upton

Lammas

Lammas is the first harvest celebration of the year. In the world of agriculture it is the slight leanings towards Autumn. The giving life of the sun is diminishing and darkness is slowly rolling across the skies. What was planted is now in full bloom and the reaping of what was toiled begins. It is the harvest of wheat that is celebrated at this Sabbat. Warm loaves of bread are baked and wheat stalks are entwined for Magickal decorations. A celebration of bountifulness commences and the Gods are thanked for all the blessings that are given.

I have always had a hard time with the harvest festivals. City girls completely removed from the cycles of Mother Earth usually do. Although I know more now of the growing seasons I am still the reaper of plants and prefer to purchase my food instead of grow/kill it. And what makes this years wheat harvest even more horrid to celebrate is the fact that I am now wheat free. So what is left to celebrate?

Most "Urban Witches" fall back on the bounty in their lives. Reaping the blessings of their planted desires from Springs Equinox. Fruitions of desired health, wealth, love and family. I, however, am careful not to plant these seeds in the Spring in fear of what may come of them. A hearts desire may not match that which is written. And what of the sacrifices that will be made for these requests? For even wishes must be paid for.

-------------

Yet here I sit on this barren ground. There are no whispering winds to carry my dreams upon. No deep fertile soil to nourish my roots. No thirst quenching water to nourish my soul. No life giving sun to light my way. Perhaps I have over toiled this plot in my life. Leaving me tired, empty and fruitless.

And then I found this:

"There is a time of beginning, a time
of growth, a time of being, a time of withering or wearing out, and a time
of leaving. This is all part of the perfection of life. I sense it as normal
and natural, and though saddened at times, I accept the cycle and rhythms.

Sometimes there is an abrupt ending in mid-cycle."

............and it brought me back to the reality of life. I then realized that I am stuck here. Have been for awhile. I suppose it is because I haven't yet figured out how to transition into this. In the past it has always been a physical move. Away from people, places and things. Shedding the old life for a new one. Now I need to learn how to transition without the help from the physical realm. Relying completely on the spirit within. And perhaps the change within will change the physical and my life will be fertile and in bloom once again.

My life as a Mosaic

1. Day 363: After Christina., 2. Nothing Else Matters!, 3. Triple Moon & Goddess Tattoo/Symbol *click for all 3 moons, 4. Yellow & Purple Daisies, 5. better be a dr. in the house . . ., 6. homemade rootbeer, 7. The Road Less Traveled By, 8. ice cream time, 9. iPod Song of the Week, 10. Unknown, 11. I Won't Stop Searching, 12. Happy Samhain!

I saw this on another BLOG I read and thought it would a great way to try my hand at Flickr. My life looks rather pretty in pictures. If you choose to try it out here are the rules:

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Type your answer to each question below, into Flickr Search

2. Using only the first page of results, pick one image.

3. Copy & paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

THE QUESTIONS:

1. What is your real christian/first name?

2. What is your favourite food - right now?

3. What school did you go to?

4. What is your favourite colour?

5. Who is your latest celebrity crush?

6. What is your favorite drink?

7. What is your dream vacation destination?

8. What is your favorite dessert?

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. What is one word that describes you now?

12. What is your Flickr/Blog name?

Butt Prints in the Sand

Butt Prints in the Sand

One night I had a wondrous dream, One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of the Goddess they were, But mine were not along the shore.

But then some stranger prints appeared, and I asked Her, "What have we here?
These prints are large and round and neat, But much too big to be from feet."

"My child," She said in somber tones, "For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith, But you refused and made me wait."

"You would not learn, you would not grow, The walk of faith, you would not know,
So I got tired, I got fed up, And there I dropped you on your butt.

"Because in life, there comes a time When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand, Or leave their butt prints in the sand."

Author Unknown