All Hail the Queen Mother - Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

It's been a hell of a week. Last week recovering from the shock of the U.S. Presidential Election, my post was about the blue candle of hope. Today it's about how we are handling, getting over, coping with the outcome and the revelations of disturbing things that seem to be popping up everyday - in direct correlation, to the man who is now the Presidential Elect.

Add to all that emotion, the power of the Super Full Moon, which blew the world away with its majesty and beauty. Astronomers told us it was the largest Super Full Moon in seventy years. Is it any coincidence we had the biggest, brightest Full Moon, during what is the darkest time for many in the country?

Personally, I was blessed to be a part of a glorious Full Moon ritual, which helped a lot. I know many people are praying, doing what they can in their own ways, to help us heal, move forward and avert paths that would be disastrous for our county, our global sisters and brothers and the planet.

That is why in my quest for healing and escape, I found myself watching a gloriously restored version, of Elizabeth Taylor as the Great Mother herself, the divine and powerful Goddess, as "Cleopatra" which was released in 1963. A shout out to Netflix, for having it in their library.

When Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra enters Rome, it is one of the most sweeping, epic, emotionally charged and chilling scenes, I've ever seen in a movie. I too felt as if I was on the streets of Rome, cheering the arrival of the Great Mother, begging and waiting for her to save us from ourselves. Even the wives of the Roman senate had to stand and give her, her due. Even they recognized whom they were seeing. The entire scene brought tears to my eyes, as I realized this is what we have lost - respect. Respect and honor for women. Respect and honor for the Divine Mother, the womb of creation. I too wept.

I've provided a YouTube link of Cleopatra's entrance:

Granted, it's a very long movie and I'm still making my way through it. Seems I've tried on many occasions to watch the entire film. I know the ending, but now I'm taking the viewing in bits. Seems this is best way, to make it through the 4 hour run time.

As an Earth-based, sister-priestess of the Divine Feminine, if there was a posthumous award to be given for portraying the Divine Mother, Elizabeth Taylor would win it. She is unflinching in her portrayal of the Great Mother. She exudes the strength and character we so desperately need in these trying times, of our own, in the year 2016.

Blue Candle of Hope

I'm shocked, saddened, dismayed and disappointed at the outcome of the U.S. 2016 Presidential Election.

I can't even bring myself to type the words "President xxxxx."  It feels to me as if man has failed again.

I know I am not alone in my grief and shock. How we got here will take eons to process and understand. And where we are headed is even more terrifying to imagine.

Yet the very first thing I did this morning was light a candle. That small act lightened the darkness and gloom I felt. I prayed to the Divine Mother for her guidance, direction and protection. I know many are praying this morning too.

I choose not to give in. It's a crisp fall morning. The air here in Denver is crisp and clean. The Sun is shining. This is the time to stick with what we know, what we believe, what sustains us. Feel the power of the blue candle. May it bring some semblance of peace and hope to your day.

Blessed Be.

Are Those Your Real Clothes or Is That a Costume?

Sadly Halloween and Samhain are now past. It's time to put away all the fun clothes and chivalrous outfits we donned over the weekend, or perhaps several weekends. Luckily I've got one more event to attend, a Day of the Dead celebration. It's my last opportunity to wear skull make up and put on some of my favorite pieces.

I always feel more myself in my Witchy clothing, Halloween clothing or Renn Faire clothing. I feel we've lost something by not wearing dresses that require us to lift our hems, although I would never want to go back to not having the choice to wear pants.

But something magickal happens when I put on my floor length gowns and lift my skirt to navigate steps. Something I've learned is easier said than done. How did we as women navigate steps and curbs with all that long material around our ankles?

Looking towards the future, the Winter Solstice is coming. There will be holiday parties and more events attend, but not ones that require me to wear my Witchy clothing. Perhaps I'll create my own Winter evening, where I and my friends can dress up once more.

Happy Holidays! 

Witchy Goodness

"Are you a Witch?"
"Why Yes, I am!"
"What does that mean?"

A huge thank you to award winning author, Cynthia Richards, for allowing me to guest post on her blog, "Deep Thoughts and Junk," for Witchy Week.

Check out my guest post "Witchy Goodness," where I share my personal thoughts about being a practicing Witch in today's world.

https://deepthoughtsandjunk.wordpress.com/…/witchy-week-na…/

Memories of Loved Ones

My family and I have been touched by the “Falling Leaf” spell, we recently read in Llewellyn’s Spell-A-Day Almanac, written by Mickie Mueller. We’re still trying to catch a falling leaf, which has been harder than one would imagine, but it is so magickal trying to grab one as it falls from a tree.

There’s a sadness that comes with this time of year. As we watch the leaves float down, loss of loved ones, things we’ve lost or discarded, situations that didn’t quite work out come to mind.

For me, I find I am still grieving the passing of our dog, Shadow who crossed over in January.

I don’t know why after 9 months I find myself missing her deeply. Perhaps it’s because she loved this time of year, or maybe it’s because her coat resembled a beautiful Fall day, or maybe it’s because the veil is thinning, and she was a magickal, spirit dog. And perhaps it’s all of these things.

My first Samhain (pronounced Sow (like cow) –in) altar I put up many years ago was in honor of our beloved dog Misty, gone many years now. I was thrilled to find the sacred in Halloween season. I had always believed there was more to the season, than just violence and horror, and being freaked out of your mind. Not that I don’t love Halloween, it was just as a lover of Nature, a believer in the Turn of The Wheel, I knew there had to be more to the Holiday than just goblins and ghosts.

For those of us who practice the Craft as our religion, October 31^st is the night we honor our loved ones who have gone before us. It’s a wonderful way to touch and remember our loved ones on the other side. 

It’s wonderful to have a special night that occurs annually, when we can be with our dearly departed. It keeps their memories alive in a special way. It gives us a chance to be with them in our homes or sacred spaces. And it adds reverence to the night of October 31^st.

There will be several others who will also share our ancestor altar. But this year, the star guest, will be our little dog, Shadow.

Witches In My Front Yard

There are Witches in my front yard! Of course I put them there. They spin around on metal broomsticks, flying in mid-air, atop a metal spike which balances them, like a tightrope walker in the sky.

I love these little witches. I picked them up at a vintage furniture store that was going out of business. Every year I try to add to my collection, picking up unique pieces that speak to the season of Halloween and the sacredness of Samhain.

It's hard not to want to put everything out at once, but I try to stagger putting up my decorations. Simple Fall decorations come first, things that can last until after Thanksgiving.  I definitely do not put out Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving! I love decorating for Yule, the Winter Solstice and Santa Claus. I love elves and Dickens themed decorations, but I wait. I wait for the Season to turn, which can be hard, in our society's rush to get into buying, buying, buying, for the Holidays.

I'm also working on my outfit for our local Witches' Ball. This year we're also attending a Day of the Dead celebration. I'm excited to have two events where I can wear my Witchy clothing. It is our season, after all.

I'm also excited that on a recent vacation, I met a woman from Sleepy Hollow, NY. I met her in a gift shop in Maine. It was lovely she shared with me, what it's like to grow up in Sleepy Hollow, how her ancestors are buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery, and how the town definitely takes advantage of Washington Irving's "The Headless Horseman." Which by the way, if you've only seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to actually the read the story. What a fantastic tale!

Cinderella Pumpkins

It's that time of year. Ghosts, goblins, witches, monsters, zombies and all sorts of amazing horrors, designed to thrill and chill us make their appearance. It's Witch time.  If you've been in the broom closet you can safely come out, without fear of ridicule. If you're a closet Witch or Witch sympathizer, you can honor your Witch self and not feel bad about it.

In Colorado, this time of year can be funky. We're known to go straight from Summer into Winter, with only a few weeks of Fall in between. We always feel doubly blessed if Halloween night arrives and we don't have wear winter coats over our costumes.

For many years, I've attended Witches' Balls here in Denver and in New Orleans. For practicing Witches, this is our time of year. We don't consider what we're wearing costumes.  To us it's a chance to wear our real clothes! I've been adding to my Witch closet for years. Each year I get excited to see what I'll come up with, for Halloween/Samhain night.

Nothing thrills me more than to wear my gowns and cloaks. It's great to attend Witch Balls with people who really do believe in and practice the Craft. The Craft is our religion. It's not something we don for one night of the year. But this post isn't about our religion. It's about the magick of believing.

Some dear friends gifted us with a Cinderella pumpkin from their garden. We picked the one we wanted and brought it home. The pumpkin is the embodiment of believing in magick/magic. Who didn't love the story of the pumpkin that turns into a carriage? Everyone I know surely wishes they had a fairy godmother. Now is the time of year to grant yourself three wishes!