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Day 6: Birth/Death/Rebirth (#30daysofspring)

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Molly

Scatter my ashes on the tree covered hills
Let my bones come to rest on these stones
Raindrops will come to carry me away
Back to the Fire of All.*

At sunset, I headed to the woods with my drum. I had been thinking about the course prompts for day 6 and found myself singing the little song above. On the way, I stopped to look at the magnolia tree that we planted in memory of my third baby, who died in my second trimester of pregnancy. His death-birth, my hemorrhage and hospital transfer after his birth, and the intense walk through grief that followed, was my death-life-rebirth experience that I’ve written about before–as well as a shamanic initiation into my priestess path and my dedication to the Goddess. His memorial tree is beginning to bud.

After my drum time in the woods, I turned to go back in and looked up to see many buds on the wild plum that was damaged last year and that I feared would not survive. Through its branches, the bright crescent return of the moon…

Unfathomable eons
Glacier time
I am just a blink of an eye
But I can sit, and watch, and wonder.

(*I realized the next morning that my little tune was similar to Kellianna’s Warrior Queen song. **This is actually my writing from March 14)

Categories: #30daysofspring, ceremony, chants, death, drums, endarkenment, moon wisdom, music, nature, night, poems, practices, prayers, pregnancy loss, priestess, sacred pause, self-care, spirituality, theapoetics, woodspriestess | Leave a comment

Darkly, Richly

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Molly

“…Look at me
I am not a separate
woman
I am a continuance
of blue sky
I am the throat
of the Sandia Mountains
A night wind woman
who burns
with every breath
she takes.”

–Joy Harjo in Open Mind

The line about the night wind woman captivated me when I first read it and it still does. I’m not sure why. I’m not entirely sure what a “night wind woman” is, but I think I am one. I used the line in the poem I open the Womanrunes book with as well, originally writing it to go with the Crescent Moon rune.

Coincidentally, right at the same time we hit the “night wind” quote in the Womanspirit mini class, we have a new Crescent Moon/New Moon layout available on our site: Crescent Moon Layout for the New Moon!

I am getting ready for a trip and having trouble allowing myself the space for self-care and rest, so I need a little reminder to spend some time in the dark and rich during this new moon cycle.

This week, I was working on some materials for my upcoming priestess class and I found another quote I had saved that connects to all these themes:

“Invite the inner woman to speak in her language of poetry, bones, clouds, dreams, red shoes, fairy dust, ravens, and fissures of the heartland. She who dwells in the wild within will help to navigate the cliffs and valleys. She will show you the passage through – give you eyes to see in the dark. And then, when you are able, she will give you wings to fly out from that both nurturing and devastating abyss into divine light.”

–Shiloh Sophia McCloud

Categories: dreams, endarkenment, moon wisdom, night, poems, prayers, priestess, programs, quotes, sacred pause, self-care, spirituality, Womanrunes, womanspirit | 2 Comments

Day 17: Holy darkness (#30daysofyule)

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Molly

I’ve been feeling rushed for several days so late yesterday afternoon I went and sat on the back porch with my two youngest kids and my drum. We admired the nearly full moon and my daughter said, “let’s make up a new goddess song.” So, we sang and drummed:

I see the goddess in the moon

I feel the goddess in the earth

I taste the goddess in the wind

I hear the goddess in my heart

I touch the goddess in your hand.

We drew oracle cards and inked them on our wrists. Then, she went in and I took the baby down to the woods where we sang and drummed as the sun went down and darkness fell. We sang:

Moon wise woman*

Moon wise baby

We are moon wise

We are moon wise.

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

(*”Moon wise” from a new program being launched by a long distance priestess friend and for which I will be guest teaching in the spring.)

Categories: #30daysofyule, chants, drums, family, moon wisdom, nature, night, parenting, priestess, ritual, sacred pause, self-care, spirituality, womanspirit, woodspriestess | Leave a comment

Day 6: Luminous Darkness (#30daysofyule)

Posted on December 12, 2015 by Molly

Today, after feeling strained and rushed about a variety of things (health insurance! Dentist appointments! Car inspection! Property taxes! Mailing Christmas gifts!), I decided to give myself a little “retreat” during naptime. I wanted to do this new moon spread from Little Red Tarot: Creativity, courage, commitment: a tarot spread for the new moon in Sagittarius. As soon as I got settled, I immediately had a jumper from my Womanrunes deck. As soon as I inked it on my wrist (liquid eyeliner, ftw!), I felt such a sense of calm and peace. It is so easy to lose touch with nurturing self-care practices when life gets busy. Even this simple practice of putting the rune of the day on my wrist can get trimmed out of a busy morning and the impact of that deletion really ripples through the day. After I did this, I also had a “flash” of the rune journal I’d like to create for the coming year. I’ve really valued the daily journaling practice I included in our Divination Practicum (though even I haven’t managed to do it every day!) and I plan to broaden this into a different, even more useful tool for a wider audience in the coming year.

I combined The Gaian Tarot and Womanrunes for the new moon layout and was not surprised at all to see the The Cauldron of Reflection, my “jumper” card from a few minutes before, turn up in the “Ground” position! All and all an illuminating and insightful spread to use at this time of year.

Fear. The Seeker reversed turned up here, indicating a longing to hit the road and escape (indeed, I have been feeling an urge to flee lately–mainly just out the door and a few feet away to my little temple space or down to the woods, but somewhere outside of the noise and clutter that seems so pervasive in the house right now). The Winged Heart from Womanrunes, rune of ecstasy made an appearance here too—perhaps afraid to let go and open up to ecstatic experience?
Hope. The Guardian of Air made a bold appearance here, looking right into my eyes. Clarity. She sees straight to the core, cuts away that which is extraneous, and is skillful at communication. She was one of only two not-reversed cards in this layout. The rune here was, ahh, The Tool. Rune of labor and production. A longing for clarity in my work, to boil it down to the essentials and what I really want to do, not just what could be done.
Transform. My other upright card, The Two of Fire makes a bold appearance here. This is a sexy and assertive card. It asks me to consider whether my fire warms me or burns me? I am lit up with a blazing energy (focusing that energy will allow the flame to stay lit). I am not surprised at all to see The Serpent show up here too, rune of awakening. This is a very fiery, transformative, potentially dangerous card as well. I always see it as exciting though and feel inspired by the energy of this card.
Release. The Ace of Fire popped up here, reversed. It suggests a fear of change and the squelching of passionate energy. It asks me to find the courage to transform. With it, comes the rune of faith. I see it as asking for faith in myself and the direction I am going.
Ground. The Ten of Air, reversed, showed up here in the position asking to “set your intention here.” This position asks for a commitment to yourself, to doing this work. I was really pleased and affirmed to see my jumper Cauldron of Reflection show up in this position. The reversed Ten of Air card is about surrendering to the natural flow and the “discovery of the treasures in the time of cold and dark,” which seems very appropriate for this month and time of year.
Create. Finally, this position makes the intention real and solidifies my commitment. The Guardian of Earth, reversed, shows up here with the message to “ground and center and reconnect with the Earth.” Yes, definitely. Just what my Seeker from the beginning was wanting to flee and do! The rune here is the Spiral, another affirming rune for me personally, as it signifies initiation and rites of passage, both core themes of the programs and classes I’m offering in the coming year.

Takeaway message from the Gaian Tarot: Honor your fire. Have courage. Go with it. “I am empowered by my passion for life, love, and wildness.”

Takeaway message from Womanrunes (I love combining them into sentences!): Allow the ecstasy of your work to awaken faith in yourself. Grounding in solitude when needed allows for the creation of spiralling initiations and rites of passage…

Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which means our new little Black Madonnas are again very àpropos.

I didn’t end up writing in response to the journal prompt about grief, but I did save this quote:

She invites us to enter into our grief and name it and be there to learn what suffering has to teach us. Creativity cannot happen, birthing cannot happen, unless the grieving heart is paid attention to. Only by passing through grief can creativity burst forth anew.

— Matthew Fox, “The Return of the Black Madonna” via 30 Days of Yule

Categories: #30daysofyule, divination, endarkenment, moon wisdom, night, practices, priestess, readings, retreat, ritual, sacred pause, self-care | Leave a comment

All you need to make magic…

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Molly

“The tools are unimportant; we have all we need to make magic: our bodies, our breath, our voices, each other.”

–Starhawk

We had a small family full moon ritual last night and incorporated a simple gratitude ritual into it. The sky was overcast so we couldn’t actually see the moon, but my four-year-old daughter wanted to get out glow sticks left over from Halloween. We had SO much fun dancing around with them and making patterns in the dark night! We sang a chant I recently made up:

Hallowed evening
Hallowed night
We dance in the shadows
We offer our light.

We did a simple gratitude practice by placing corn kernels in a jar, one for each thing we are grateful for from the past month. We started out slowly and taking turns and then we sped up and the gratitude offerings came tumbling out, over one another. Even the one-year-old added corn, rapidly yet with great concentration to make it actually go in the jar. We drummed and called out, “We are ALIVE! We are GRATEFUL! We are POWERFUL! We are CREATIVE!” When we finally decided to close our ritual and go back inside, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds to briefly say hello and it felt like a blessing on the magic we’d just created together.

As we went back inside, I felt relaxed, happy, and connected. For being something very simple, not particularly pre-planned, and semi-chaotic, it felt like one of our deepest and most connected personal family rituals. The quote above from Starhawk floated back into my mind and I reflected that when I try “too hard” to get things ready for a perfect ritual, I often end up feeling a little disappointed. Things might not work out as I envision or my kids might be as cooperative as I hope and it often takes longer than I expect. While I do enjoy getting some ambiance set up with candles, an altar, a mandala, or a fire, running outside with our glow sticks and spinning around together under the cloudy sky was more than enough to create a sense of magic.

I then stayed up too late coloring mandalas with my daughter from our new free goddess greeting card set. I’ve only recently discovered the magic of sparkly gel pens. Such delight!

Source for corn ritual: Some Quick Thanksgiving Magic – Jess Carlson

Another great offering from Jess, a free gratitude journal: End the Year with Gratitude! – Jess Carlson

A full moon ritual outline: Creative Ceremony Academy: Simple Family Full Moon Ritual – Brigid’s Grove

A gratitude ritual outline: Autumn Bounty Ritual Recipe (Fall Equinox Ceremony for Families) – Brigid’s Grove

New moon calendar offering: Free Calamoondala Class with Womanrunes Book Purchase

Come Join the Circle! – Brigid’s Grove

Categories: chants, family, holidays, moon wisdom, night, parenting, priestess | 1 Comment

Day 30: Song in the Dark (#30DaysofHecate)

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Molly

New priestess robes hand-dyed by my dear friend are coming to the etsy shop this week!

Darkness falls
Darkness enfolds
Darkness calls
Darkness holds

Hallowed evening
Hallowed night
We rest in the shadows
We offer our light.

30 Days of Hecate was the first 30 days class that I haven’t kept up with in terms of taking a daily picture and making a daily post. This is partially because the heavier themes required more thought and a certain amount of vulnerability that I wasn’t always prepared to take time for. And, perhaps silly, but since I usually share the photo of the day on Instagram, which I also use for business, there were many prompts that didn’t fit with the overall mood and feel of my Instagram page. Also, this was the first class for which there was a Facebook group, so even though I didn’t post on my own blog every day, I read other people’s posts and reflections and thought about their pictures and insights each day, meaning that all things considered I may have spent more time involved in this course than ever before, even though my visible output and personal work was lower. This was more of a communal experience for me than a solitary one, which is interesting both in considering the themes (which I should maybe have taken more personal time for) and also because of how much I’ve valued the personal practice of the previous 30 days courses. I look forward to having that again, though I also wouldn’t trade the communal experience, which has been much bigger and more beautiful than I imagined it could be. I’ve already signed up for the next offering: 30 Days of Yule ~ A Daily Sacred Pause to Welcome the Return of the Sun

And, finally, in more practical terms, we were overwhelmed with Christmas ornament orders, which pared most of my personal practices and personal time down to almost nothing, by necessity. There were many nights where I fell asleep with my phone in my hand, after packing orders until 11:00, blog screen open, but untyped in….

Something I am left with after this course is the amazing Hecate chant I learned about via the 30 Days Facebook group. It is really powerful: For Tara – Hecate Chant | Sharon Knight

Categories: #30daysofHecate, blessings, chants, community, endarkenment, music, nature, night, poems, practices, sacred pause, seasons, spirituality | Leave a comment

Day 29: Dreaming (#30DaysofHecate)

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Molly

Tell me about a potent, numinous dream you had, that you have never forgotten. (It does not have to be a recent dream; just one that seems like it was a gift.)

In 2013, I experienced a really profound dream. I was walking down to the woods and in the sky above the priestess rocks, I saw a gigantic, beautiful, pulsating, pink, jeweled rose like flower. I was awe-struck and staring at it. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I became aware that a golden cord stretched from the center of the flower to the top of my head and I became aware that all people were connected to it by these golden cords as well. Then, in that uniquely expansive character of dreams, I somehow traveled through the center of the flower. On the other side was an immense snake of unimaginable proportion, spiraling around “the cosmic egg.” As I looked at it, I became aware that the snake was actually the whole of the universe and that along its body, in the scales, one could perceive not only each galaxy, but also a point for all times and places that ever were or will be. It is hard to describe in writing, but I still deeply remember by feelings of both awe and comprehension and this expansive awareness of reality. It was a gorgeous, trippy, and meaningful dream. I tried to draw something about it, but couldn’t do it. What I was left with is that feeling of majesty, magnitude, and incredible connection.

Categories: #30daysofHecate, divination, dreams, endarkenment, feminist thealogy, Flowers, Goddess, nature, night, sacred pause, spirituality, woodspriestess | 1 Comment

Day 28: Releasing the Beloved Dead (#30DaysofHecate)

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Molly

When my grandma died in 2013, we first did a family ceremony with sky lanterns in the field by my parents’ house, since her actual service wasn’t held until the following month. Even though it was daylight at the time, we lit a “wish lantern” (paper sort of hot air balloon thing that you release and it floats high into the air until the fuel finally extinguishes). As we watched the lantern sail away on the currents of the breeze and above the green trees, we called out the following as a responsive reading:

Into the freedom of wind and sunshine

Response – We let you go

Into the dance of the stars and the planets

Response – We let you go

Into the wind’s breath and the hands of the stars

Response – We let you go

Tonight, at sunset-moonrise, I took a drawing of her down to the woods and had a little personal ceremony using the elemental release included below that was in Joanna’s prompt for Day 28.

Then, I drummed and sang as night fell.

Last Rites: An Elemental Release
(To be said in ceremony when a loved one has died.)

This is the place we will all one day gather, the place where the Dark Mother waits.
This is the path we must all walk alone, to stand at the quarterly gates.
Here lies what’s left of all that has been, of Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
Into the cauldron of tears we commit her [him], to change into waters of birth.

We release to the North her [his] flesh and her [his] bones and all that belongs to the Earth.
We release to the East her [his] breath and her [his] voice and all that flies free on the Wind.
To the South we return her [his] passion and Spirit and all that burns pure in the Fire.
To the West we release her [his] blood and her [his] tears and all that’s washed pure in the Water.
To the Center we turn. We let our hearts grieve, seeking comfort of family and friends.

For we know in our hearts we will see her [him] again on a Wheel turning round without end.
Gentle and beloved Spirit of ___________, fly from this place on wings of speed, where gentle breezes blow to a place that has no pain. Have no thought of leaving us. Your work on Earth is done, you ran the race, you loved and were loved, you danced the dance* and won.

We will call your name at Samhain. What is remembered, lives.

— Angie Buchanan, death midwife, founder/director of Earth Traditions.

(*this was actually “fought the fight,” but that didn’t fit to me, so I changed it)

Categories: #30daysofHecate, ancestors, blessings, death, endarkenment, family, night, practices, priestess, readings, ritual, sacred pause, spirituality, woodspriestess | Leave a comment

Day 21: Old Woman (#30daysofHecate)

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Molly

Life’s sunset.

Quilted in bright colors
Sinking over hills of gold
and long dry valleys…

(Woodspriestess: Grandmother)

Last night I dreamed of my grandmother. Dressed all in white, she was visiting at my parents’ house. Amazed to see her, I exclaimed over and over again about how I’d missed her and how it was so good to see her again. I hugged her, heart to heart, and marveled to her–I know exactly what you look like, how you sound, what your smile is like, how your eyes look, what it feels like to hug you. I haven’t forgotten! I know just what you’re like! We talked about how the last time I saw her alive was at my brother’s wedding and we didn’t know it was the last time. We talked about how it was a such a surprise to have her illness progress so quickly. She told me that she will only be back to visit four more times and showed me a scrapbook with only four unfilled pages left in it. She reminded me that one of the other times she visited had been to see Tanner (when he was new, I dreamed she was holding him and smiling.)

I woke up too soon and spent the rest of the night trying to make sure I remembered the dream (including dreaming about telling people I dreamed it). When I got up this morning, I told my husband about the dream and cried.

carry my gratitude
straight to her heart
fold it into her hands
nestle it in her body
where it will take root
and blossom…

(Woodspriestess: Grandmother Prayer)

Categories: #30daysofHecate, ancestors, death, family, night, sacred pause | 1 Comment

Day 14: Making your way through the dark (#30daysofHecate)

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Molly

Apparently, once I got off schedule a day, it is hard to get back on track! We also have been flooded with orders for our goddess Christmas ornaments. Amazing response! It also means we’re skewed somewhat off-balance personally in order to fulfill all of the orders. For yesterday, I did a three card spread using the Gaian Tarot and Womanrunes, following the “guide through the darkness” spread suggested. I did it kind of hastily, but it still brought up some important points and a little laugh as well when I saw I turned up “The Tool,” the rune of labor, production, and enterprise. 😉

1. She Guides You Through the Season
This card offers advice on getting through and making progress in the next two months.

2. She Guides You Toward Illumination
This card indicates the direction in which knowledge and insight await you.

3. She Guides You Across the Threshold
This card encourages you to step through the veil into an experience of the unknown, an experience that leads to greater personal and spiritual power.

— Ellen Lorenzi-Prince, The Dark Goddess Tarot Companion

The best reminder for me came from The Wheel, which showed up in the third position and gave me this gift: “in centering myself, I am blessed by the turning of the wheel.” The Sisters and the reversed Six of Water both remind me to reach out in community and to replenish my emotional reserves. The pendulum in the first position reminds me that this energetic imbalance and extreme flurry is temporary (if it turns out not to be temporary, we’ll hire some more people to help!). After doing this layout, I also turned over my rune of the day and it was The Sun and Moon, rune of laughter, which is always my “cosmic wink” letting me know I’m on the right path.

Categories: #30daysofHecate, divination, endarkenment, night, practices, sacred pause, Womanrunes | Leave a comment

Day 9: Hecate of the Three Ways (#30DaysofHecate)

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Molly

She who shows her incisors
She who midwifes death
She who illuminates the crossroads.

She who gathers and releases
She who creates and destroys.
She who covers and reveals.

She is the darkness and the light within it.
She is the crossroads and the path.
She is the guardian and the wayshower

before her and behind her is the knowing unknown.

—

I was inspired to create a new little Hecate-themed blessing bundle through my participation in ‪#‎30daysofhecate‬ as well as that persistent sensation of drawing inward as we move into the waning part of the year.

Categories: #30daysofHecate, blessings, endarkenment, Goddess, invocations, moon wisdom, night, poems, readings, ritual, sacred pause, seasons, spirituality | Leave a comment

Day 3: Stirring the Cauldron (#30daysofHecate)

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Molly

Make for yourself a power spot
Bring you a spoon and a cooking pot
Bring air
Bring fire
Bring water
Bring earth
And you a new universe will birth…

–Shekhinah Mountainwater in The Goddess Celebrates by Diane Stein

Source: Shekhinah Mountainwater | WoodsPriestess

We held our opening ceremony for our Divination Practicum tonight under the full moon. Earlier in the day, in another perfect synchroncity with today’s 30 Days prompt, the Womanrunes card I drew was the Cauldron of Reflection. Perfect for this time of year, but also for me personally. I needed the reminder, and the permission, to rest.

This morning, in the Facebook group for 30 Days of Hecate, the chant above by Shekhinah Mountainwater was suggested as a perfect chant for today. One of her friends recorded herself singing the song as Shekhinah used to sing it and shared it with the group. Someone else found another version online (different tune than Shekhinah’s) and shared the link: Cookingupauniverse.mp3 (it begins at about 1:47). I love it! We sang it over and over tonight during our ritual and it was wonderful.

Shekhinah’s birthday was just four days ago and I wanted to share a couple of things. First, a birthday tribute from the Memorial Fund:

Happy Birthday Shekhinah! | Shekhinah Mountainwater Memorial Fund

And, I wanted to share the news about Shekhinah’s Tarot project.

“At long last, we have pulled together the pieces, the passion and the people to move forward with remastering and publishing Shekhinah’s beautiful Tarot deck. I’m excited to announce this on the night of October 24th, the day Shekhinah was brought into this word and took her first breath.

It has been challenging to get the wheels rolling on this project; no accompanying Tarot book was found when Shekhinah crossed the veil… As well, the cards themselves are worn and need remastering in order to be print-ready. Still, I did not want to give up on it. I know how deeply Shekhinah wanted to publish, and the incredible amount of study, brilliance and magic that went into the creation of her deck. And I also know, even more so now as I have begun the study of the cards, how important this deck is – to all of us… and to future generations…”

Dear Ones: At long last, we have pulled… – Shekhinah Mountainwater

I’ll be working on the book for this project and I look forward to carving out some time and space over the winter to focus on it.

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I’m offering a free starter class in our new class portal at MotherHouse of the Goddess: Sign Up for Introduction to Womanrunes.

This all feels like stirring the cauldron to me!

Categories: #30daysofHecate, collaboration, divination, moon wisdom, night, sacred pause, self-care, spirituality, Womanrunes, woodspriestess | Leave a comment

Day 2: Flaming torches (#30DaysofHecate)

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Molly

Today is the first day of our Divination Practicum. This morning, when I saw that the photo prompt for 30 Days of Hecate was “flaming torches,” I thought: “what if I get The Flame today when I do my Womanrunes pull? Wouldn’t that be cool?” In the afternoon, I did a little ceremony to begin the course and what did I draw, but yes, The Flame! I just love cosmic winks.

In keeping with the themes of crossroads and thresholds and being “between the worlds,” I want to share a little story from tonight that is a reminder of how our “torches” impact others in surprising locations. (I teach on a military base.)

Me: drives up to the entrance to the Fort listening to “Amazon Warrior Princess” by Big Bad Gina.

Young army guy at gate: “that’s a cool necklace, what is it?”

Me: “which one?” (I’m wearing three)

Guy: points to the homemade spiral goddess pendant.

Me: “she’s a goddess.”

Guy: “neat. What does that mean? What does it represent?”

Me: has no elevator speech prepared that seems suitable for man with gun who is looking in the back of my car and inspecting my license. Say something to effect of, “oh, she represents honoring and celebrating life’s important transitions.”

Guy (enthusiastically): “oh! Could you make one that is a werewolf holding a moon?!”

Me: “we do make one holding the moon, but she’s still a goddess, not a werewolf.”

Guy: looks disappointed and sends me surreally on my way…

—

And, still reflecting on thresholds, on this day one year ago, I was forty weeks pregnant! I have now nearly completed a full “sacred year” with my baby…

On this day last year. Yes, I am wearing my same spiral goddess pendant from the story above!

*Blink* Suddenly, walking around dressed up like Draco Malfoy.

Categories: #30daysofHecate, night, parenting, sacred pause, seasons | Leave a comment

Crescent Moon Song

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Molly

I walk the crescent moon
Plant the seeds and wait to bloom.

I dance the crescent moon
Change is coming, making room.

I sing the crescent moon
Weave intention with her loom.

Tonight I was out walking with my baby and the crescent moon was bright in the sky. I found myself singing a song to him as he fell asleep and so I thought I’d share it here too.

Lots of good things happening this week. The workbook that we prepared to go with my upcoming Divination Practicum course turned into a gigantic, 340-page tome and so we’re having it shipped directly to the class participants. I’m thrilled with it and I hope they all will be too. It is important to me in my classes to go beyond pdfs and actually provide tangible materials.

I also have big news in that we now have a dedicated portal for online classes at Mystery School of the Goddess! Even though it is really close to the start date, Divination Practicum Registration is live there now as our first official class. I’m in the process of developing several more classes (some with fees and some free!) that will have longer lead-in times. Taking the leap and signing up under Mystery School is a brand new decision and we moved the existing class (which was scheduled months ago to start on October 27th) to the new class platform, even though there isn’t really much time left to promote the offering. I also developed a Womanrunes 101 mini-class there that is totally free!

I reworked my Harvest Queen post into a new post at my SageWoman magazine blog and included a honey-roasted autumn veggies recipe: Blessing from the Harvest Queen (+ Roasted Autumn Vegetables Recipe)

And, I wanted to share that if you’ve ever wanted a priestess robe like mine, you can get one of your own from my friend’s etsy shop during her fall special (make sure to read the shop note for a discount code!). She is a real-life friend of mine and she is immensely talented. Priestess robes are available here: Goddess Garb by GoddessRobes on Etsy

Her new art prints and products are available here: Mother’s Mark Goddess Art Prints, Tees, Cards, & Gifts

Enjoy!

Categories: chants, friends, moon wisdom, night, priestess, ritual | Leave a comment

Day 30: Gathering and Releasing (#30DaysofHarvest)

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Molly

Blessing from the Harvest Queen

May the sunset cloak of shorter days enfold you
May you dance with the patterns of crimson and gold leaves
May you sing with owl and coyote in crisp moonlight
May you savor the orangeness of pumpkin and yam
and feel the sweetness of honey on your tongue.
May you listen to the dreams of seed corn
May elderberry strengthen you with stored sunshine
May persimmon grant you a fleeting hello
May the poignant flare of an October rose
kiss you with hope.
May your rooms be wreathed with smiles.
And, may you remember the grace and wisdom
found in both gathering and releasing.

I didn’t expect my last prompt for 30 Days of Harvest to be so literal. I gathered up all of my supplies for a Red Tent call tonight. I was supposed to be the guest speaker for Journey of Young Women talking about Womanrunes and how to make and use them. Tons of technical difficulties and associated confusion meant we had to postpone the call after about twenty minutes of trying to make it work. That would be the releasing part…

I also did a Womanrunes reading to close out the 30 Days experience. I got the Two Circles (rune of merging), followed by the Dark Moon (rune of wisdom), and then the Wheel…rune of fate. “The wheel turns, life unfolds, your breath moves in and out.”