Archive for August, 2009

Along the Crooked Path

Along the crooked path we walk
Harmonizing with birdsong as we talk

We wander along a sun-dappled path
Through forests’ edge to meadows ahead
Summer’s sweet kiss gives warmth to the land
My steps now guided by a nice young lad

His lass bore a child before they wed
This the town folk would not understand
Beside my cottage now a cabin stands
He says he wants to be a conjure man

The garden blossoms as our family grows
All the herbs have been hung and dried
Horse and cow in the barn by the shed
I shall tell the children a story tonight

As they tuck into bed with the moonrise
I steal away and into the night
My heart and hands reach up high
I sing a song of sorrow and joy

Though my hearth now brims with love
The craft I work is still a road for one
Along the crooked path I walk

~ By Juniper 2009

Hearth Craft

“An rud a nitear sa chuil, thig e dh’ionnsaigh an teine” ~ What’s done in the corner will come to the hearth.

“No matter where I serve my guests, it seems they like the kitchen best” ~ A decorative plate that once hung in my Great Grandmother’s kitchen.

In these modern times, in Western society especially, the home of today is centered on the television. The furniture is placed strategically around it; the couch or sofa faces it and the faces of the family are also turned towards it. Often our most prized family photos, trophies, mementos and the like rest on or near it. Surely if archaeologists one day dig up the bones of our civilization, they will think the television was our God.

But before primetime TV and soaps operas took over our lives, before Nintendo and Xbox, the household and everyone in it would gather around the family stove, and before that, the hearth. The hearth was such in integral part of European (and Colonial) culture that there was no separating hearth and home, fireside and family. In fact, the word for “hearth” in Latin is “focus”.

Hearthcraft is working with the magick and spirit of hearth, home, kith and kin. In Hearthcraft the entire house and the land it sits on is sacred space, the home the family’s temple, centered on the hearth. Be that hearth a fireplace, a woodstove or modern electric range. In Hearthcraft, the home is hallowed.

Even cleaning can become a ritual. In fact, life is made up of a series of little routines we go about day by day; hearthcraft is the practise of recognizing the magick in every day routines and traditions. There are many spells involving the use of a mop or broom. Many “cleansings” that Pagan practitioners do, involve literally cleaning the space before doing the spiritual cleansing.

The hearth plays an important part in folklore and the traditions of the family home. A large part of most holidays and festivals throughout history is feasting, as well as lighting the hearth.

Hearthcraft is grounded in commonsense and practicality; it is using what is available to you. A healing spell is a bowl of chicken soup; a purification ritual is sweeping the floor; a ritual to honor the gods is cleaning the fireplace.

Hearthcraft is finding the sacred, the spiritual and the magickal in everyday things. It is bringing that “special something” into a house that makes it a home.

Because its my blog and I’ll post what I want to. Also because I have received requests to write a sequel so it is on my mind. What shall happen to our heroine?

The Crooked Path

Alone I walk the crooked path
A heavy basket upon my back

Through moonlit groves to home at last
Guided by dimming stars above my head
Through the valley and around the bend
With eager eyes do I see the gate ahead

Behind me lays the farmer’s hedge
Beyond the hill does my cottage stand
Away from village lights and prying eyes
I work a craft they cannot understand

My garden beckons while my dog does growl
Heavy basket goes into potting shed
Herbs to be hung with morning light
It is the stew pot that I seek tonight

Dog gets fed and cow is checked
I lay me down upon a lonely bed
I dare to dream of a village-life lived
With a family and a loving husband

But the life I lead is a road for one
In a creaking home blasted with cold drafts
Alone I walk the crooked path

~ by Juniper 2008

I was inspired by the award I received; Also I have been thinking about the fact that more and more people are calling for the Pagan Community to do better to recognize those hardworking members that make modern Paganism and Witchcraft go ‘round.

I decided to make an award and pass it on so that it folks will pay it forward.

Yes it works a little like a chain letter, but the dammed things are effective, especially online.

This award can go to any website, group, blog, individual, podcast, organization, magazine or newsletter, forum, networking site and so forth that you feel has done a good service to the community or added something important, special, unique etc to the Community.

This is meant to be a show of respect and/or appreciation, but it can still be delivered with some affectionate humour and so forth

(And yes I am capitalizing “Pagan Community” now! Look up the definition of community; we all don’t have to be the same to be a freakshow family people)

To get the ball rolling I will choose a grand total of four awards to hand out, though people are encouraged to award three.

Ladies, gents and everyone in-between, I present to you the Real Witch Achievement Award

When you receive this award, you are to:

* Post the award on your website, blog, etc in some way. Remember to thank your mom!
* Mention the person who gave you the award.
* Select three new recipients of this award you feel are worthy.
* Send them the award via email, by commenting on their forum, by printing it and handing it to them, etc
* Announce your choices on your website, in your magazine, on your podcast etc

***

My nominees are a networking site, a forum, a blog, and a podcast:
The WiccanWeb.ca
Networking site based on the west coast of Canada for Wiccans, and all Pagans, in Canada or who live in or love Canada. They have forums, classifieds, pictures, a wiki, news articles, a chants page that is awesome, two pagan radio stations and more. They are also kind enough to post link to my articles sometimes.

TerraSpirit ~ Canadian Pagan Living
Delivers what it states in its name. A forum linked to other goodies is set up for all Pagans in Canada to talk and discuss. Terra Spirit was created to help unite Canadian Pagans with an interest in topics such as family, health, divination, celebration, pregnancy, and all areas of Pagan Living in Canada. You don’t have to be Pagan, you don’t have to be Canadian, but that is the main theme of the boards. Also very family oriented. Wonderful!

Vanic Thoughts
A thoughtful, intelligent and insightful blog from a Vanic heathen.
I love the practical handing of the woo moments that come from living the life of a mystic (or whatever you want to call it)

The Wigglian Way
The Wigglian Way is a pagan podcast brought to you by Sparrow and Mojo from Beautiful British Columbia. They have been around for a while now and seem to be going strong. All sorts of topics have been covered and they feature great music from people you may have never heard of.

Congratulations guys, please pay it forward!

I had considered handing this out to some of the big guys who would be obvious like Witchvox or the Wild Hunt blog, but I’ll let someone else do that.
Also, yes I choose three nominees that are Canadian well; this is the Journal of a Canadian Hedgewitch after all!

Now I am off to send the awards off … after breakfast.

hehehe!

Oh and here is a link to a smaller image:

Death came by last night

The pup wasn’t thriving, he was barley eating

Puggy Sue kept pushing him away from her other babes

She looked at me with sad, calm eyes

We did the best we could, we tried everything

But the wee pup wasn’t thriving, he wasn’t growing

Finally, I went to bed

I woke in the dead of the night and went to Puggy Sue

The pup wasn’t thriving; he was barley alive

Puggy Sue had pushed him a way and buried him in a blanket

I wrapped him more gently and tucked him in the corner of the pen

Puggy Sue looked at me with sad, calm eyes

I went back to bed

I did not light a candle

I left the whiskey in the bottle on the counter

I did not fill the bowl

I did not leave an offering for Death

For gratitude for mercy, to appease, to beg to leave

I went to bed

I did not bribe the ferryman

I was so very tired; it was so very late at night

I woke with the sun and buried the babe

Then went to the kitchen for a cup of tea

My mother had sad news

Sometime in the night, all her fish had died

A beta, some tetras, and a trio of aquatic frogs

All went from fine to mysteriously deceased over night

Death took Her own offering

I suppose I should have paid the ferryman

I will have to buy my mother more frogs and fish

I received this award from the Hedgewitch Hollow, a blog I enjoy myself very much.

How wonderful, thank you!

With this award, I am to:

Include the award in my blog post.
~ Link the nominees within my post.
~ Don’t forget to mention the person who gave you the award.
~ Let my chosen winners know that they received The Domestic Witch Blog Award by commenting on their blog.

This is a terrific idea and I am happy to award the following blogs:

The Witch of the Forest Grove blog.
“I’m a folk magic practitioner with a focus in Scottish witchcraft and folk magic. As I live in the new world I also incorporate American folk magic traditions into my practice, those of conjure, rootwork, hoodoo, and shamanism. I have a strong love for folklore, history, and anthropology. I am a librarian, a writer, a gardener, a mead maker, a charm maker, a healer, a diviner, a wife, and the owner of three mischievous black cats. I live in Forest Grove, in the rainforest that is South Western British Columbia.”

&

The Crafty Witch Blog
“Not Witch … Not Wicca … Not anything … Just go with the flow … Walk my own path … Don’t need a label … Go where the wind takes me … Mixing it up … Stirring it … My way … My path …”

&

From Clutter to Shine
“Out of clutter, find simplicity; out of discord, find harmony; in the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.
~Albert Einstein”