Last year during quarantine, one of the activities I did with my children for some entertainment was to plant tomato seeds and watch them grow. We then planted a couple of them in pots outdoors and grew our very own tomatoes. I have always had TERRIBLE luck trying to grow anything, so I was amazed that we were able to keep them alive through the summer and actually get a few tomatoes. This spring, my son decided that just growing tomatoes wasn't enough and he wanted a full "REAL" garden, so I told him that we could, as long as he promised to help me weed and water. It isn't huge, but a single 2 foot x 8 foot bed seemed like a good place to start... In this little bed we planted a few carrots, cabbage, green & purple peppers, 2 tomatoes, a tomatillo, asparagus, strawberries, broccoli, and then cucumbers and a melon vine on either end using a trellis. the pots on the end contained a blueberry and blackberry bush. Looking back, I know I was over zealous, but the kids were excited, so I was excited....and it was all going so well. Things exploded quickly. I blame the brand new raised bed soil that we used, but...I've never seen cabbage plants so big in my life. Then we got hit by rabbits....they ate all of my strawberries...and the tops of my broccoli. I was very sad. Damn bunnies. And then we got hit by a massive summer storm, with tornado level winds that tore up trees and did lots of damage. At this point, I won't even show you the mess it made of our garden, but it essentially twisted all of the plants into 1 big mangled mess. They are still growing and producing, but I genuinely can not look at the garden and tell the difference between the tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, and asparagus. They're just one conglomerate bush at this point. BUT, things are still growing. So far, we've been able harvest lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and tomatillos...and a cabbage the size of a 12 year old's head! We even attempted to make pickles we had so many cucumbers. I made both a dill batch and a sweet heat batch, so we will see how they turn out in the next week. Overall, garden life has been quite an adventure. It's been fun to see the kids get excited over the growth, and taking turns watering the garden (and most often spraying each other with the garden hose). The harvest season isn't over yet, so we'll see what else we get, but so far I'm pretty proud of our mess.
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Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week we move on to the nineteenth letter, Tau!
Description: You will have a parting from the companions now around you. - Apollonius Sophistes Tau is a symbol that represents the separating of someone or something from your life. This may not be a permanent change, but there will be a period of time when something that is currently present in your life will no longer be around in the way it is now. This may be a positive change, where negative influences in your life decide to leave you be, but it may also be the growing apart of relationships, intentional or not. This is another symbol that often requires some insight into the current situation in order to fully apply it appropriately. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Tau could be: To part with companions hurts. Take the time to heal. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
Happy Monday! It's time once again for some divination to guide our week. This omen comes from the Runes, using a beautiful resin and dried flowers set I recently ordered.
For more details on these symbols, read more below: Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week we move on to the eighteenth letter, Sigma! Description: Phoibos speaks plainly, ‘Stay, friend.’ - Apollonius Sophistes Sigma is a symbol to hold your ground and to not take action. While many other symbols tell us to persevere or wait for the appropriate action, this omen specifically tells us to stop. While worded kindly as “Stay, friend” this omen tells us that we need to hold our ground and not push forward or move backward. It is a symbol that represents steadfastness, but also tells us not to continue with our current actions. It doesn’t require that we backtrack in our steps, but instead tells to stay where we are right now. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but it’s one of the few omens that actually give direction for how we should proceed in our actions. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Rho could be: Stand your ground, Just wait and see. You'll have guidance soon. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
Happy Monday! It's time once again for some divination to guide our week. This omen comes from the Otherkin Tarot by Siolo Thompson
I've put this post off for months now, because writing out the words makes it feel too real, but I promised that I would continue to tell her tale...so here goes nothing. Today, I tell my story about my amazing friend Shanda. TW: Death, Illness, Loss, Cancer On June 3, 2021 we said good-bye to one of my oldest and closest friends, Shanda Hahn Kinkade. I have never meet another human like Shanda and want to share at least a glimpse of how incredible she truly was with everyone. I first met Shanda in 2003 in a Yahoo Group that she created called Wiccans in Nebraska. I was an 18-year-old kid from a tiny town who didn't know anything about the world, but knew that I was different than everyone I grew up with. Shanda, and everyone I met through WINEB let me feel like I belonged for one of the first times ever. She built a community of support, connections, and respect that is unparalleled in today's online communities. We shared knowledge and experiences, and no matter your background, age, etc. you were viewed as an equal and important member to the group. I am so grateful for that group and everyone I met in it. We held bi-weekly study groups and bonded quickly through our shared experiences. As technology advanced (and Yahoo Groups began to die), several of us joined a Meetup group called Rural Nebraska Witches Group (RNWG) and started attending IN PERSON events. It was terrifying, but also exhilarating to be able to finally meet in person the people I had known online for so long...and the bond was immediate. I first met Shanda at a weekend camping trip to a local lake, and it was like we had known each other our whole lives. We laughed so hard I thought I'd be sick, shared so many stories...I knew this was someone I wanted to keep in my life forever. Through most of our friendship, we lived several hours apart and did most of our interaction online. We would get together for special occasions, like Pagan Pride Day or the local Mystic Fest, but even though we didn't see each other daily, re-connecting each time was like we spoke every day. Through our friendship we saw births and deaths, marriages and divorces, good and bad. Yet, no matter what was happening, I knew I could depend on Shanda to be there. When I hosted my very first protogrove ritual, she was right there by my side. When I lead my first Pagan Pride Day, she was there in the booth with me. And when my heart was broken, she'd listen to me cry, and remind me of who I was and what I wanted to be. The past few years have been challenging. Shanda ended up moving closer to me, and I was ecstatic to get to see her more and spend more time with her. However, two years ago she was diagnosed with cancer...she fought hard and tried every option available to her, but ultimately her life came to an end far too soon. I regret not getting to see her more in the past two years...with Covid it just didn't feel safe. I regret not getting to hug her good-bye....our last real conversation was us planning to get together, and having to postpone because we had other things come up. But I am also SO grateful that I got to have her in my life. She brought me so many lessons and so much joy. When I was asked to perform her funeral (as informal as possible because that's how she'd want it), I was so honored, and so heart-broken. Her funeral is an event I will never forget. She didn't want anything stuffy, and she sure as hell didn't want people to be sad. She required that everyone wear bright colors, like turquoise or purple, and had the celebration in a reception hall instead of a stuffy venue. When I showed up, I was given a box of toys and craft supplies for my children that Shanda had left for them, because even as she was fighting her battle she was always thinking of others. Below the break are the words I spoke as Shanda's Eulogy.....and when I was done...we had a required 1 minute Dance Party because that's how Shanda wanted it. I will never forget sobbing and dancing with our friends, and then laughing at just how absurd we all looked in that moment....and I know Shanda was laughing at us all the whole time. Long story short...I fucking loved this woman. It's been months and my heart is still broken, and it will be forever. But I am also so lucky that I had the chance to know her and be her friend. My dearest Shanda, I love you now and forever. Thank you for being my friend. Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week we move on to the seventeenth letter, Rho! Description: You will go on more easily if you wait a short time. - Apollonius Sophistes Rho appears to me as a message of patience. By avoiding impulsive behavior, you can find success. Rho reminds us that there are times when we can move forward more easily than if we are tolerant and steady instead of reacting thoughtlessly or behaving in a reckless manner. This message doesn’t tell us to remain still forever, but instead tells us that we should wait for a while before jumping ahead. It is a message that reminds us that we will move forward eventually. Rho expresses the idea that patience will allow things to move ahead more smoothly than if we try to force our way through to completion too quickly. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Rho could be: React with patience and care. These things can take time. Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
Happy Monday! It's time once again for some divination to guide our week. This omen comes from the Legendary Ladies Goddess Deck by Ann Shen.
Today, I am thrilled to announce the release of Shield of Wisdom: A Devotional for Athena & Minerva created by Bibliotheca Alexandrina. I was honored to be a contributor to this beautiful anthology and am so happy to finally see the results of months of hard work by the editors and be able to hold the (408 page!) beauty in my hand. I, of course, am biased, but if you're looking for articles, prayers, rituals, or additional information about Athena or Minerva, I highly recommend you check it out. Below is the summary from the book's page: Wisdom. Weaving. Warfare. Known to the Greeks as Athena, and to the Romans as Minerva, she leapt fully grown from the skull of the Lord of Thunder. Frighteningly intelligent, quick-witted and fiercely loyal, she is a Goddess who watches over heroes, warriors, and artisans alike. A Goddess of the mind, she admires and rewards cleverness and creativity. And, while she inspires intense devotion in ancient and modern polytheists, she also inspires passionate debate. Is she a friend to women, or does she always favor the father? When she transformed Medusa into a gorgon and Arachne into a spider, was she motivated by compassion or something else? And what of her relationships with her fellow Deities, such as Hephaistos, Ares, and Aphrodite? Are they adversarial, antithetical, or complementary? Within these pages, you will find poems of praise and rites in her honor. You will also find essays and personal reflections that question the Goddess, that challenge her, that analyze the myths around her and what they mean to us, and what they reveal about the Goddess herself. All of these are offered to her with an open heart, and a sincere questioning mind — which we hope she will find as pleasing as any reverent hymn. All hail Athena, Keen-Eyed and Ever-Curious. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have!! Have a wonderful weekend.
Welcome back to the Learning the GAC series. This week we move on to the sixteenth letter, Pi!
Description: Completing many {Polus} contests, you will seize the crown. - Apollonius Sophistes Pi is a symbol that represents perseverance. I find this very interesting, considering the mathematical correspondence of pi, and the infinite, ongoing persistence of the number it represents. It's a symbol that tells us that we can persevere through hardship and tribulations. Even when we are struggling and things are hard, even when life doesn’t lead us down the path we expect, we can be successful if we persevere through these difficulties. While Kappa reminded us to keep moving forward, Pi speaks of success if we continue to battle through our trials. It brings with it a message of hope that seems less present than in Kappa. A poem to help memorize the meaning of Pi could be: Persevere Push through hardships You will win the crown Below are a few attributes of this symbol:
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