Year of the Snake! Happy Chinese New Year!

Its the New Moon, Year of the Snake; Happy Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras is going on in New Orleans!  Whew, its seems like the whole world has a reason to party today!  And boy am I glad of another opportunity to began again.

Its nice of Mother Nature to give us the opportunity to begin again with each New Moon.  Even though the skies are dark, we await Her first silver crescent with great anticipation.  We know She's coming back.  A fresh new cycle has begun.

The Chinese celebrate the "Spring Festival" from the New Moon to the Full Moon, a full 15 days of celebrating.  How nice of our Chinese brothers and sisters to keep the lunar cycle!  Its awesome to know that somewhere in the world, there are billions of people who follow the lunar cycle in addition to us Pagans, Earth Worshippers and Witches here in the West. 

I pray that this cycle ushers in newness of being and well wishes for us all. 

Bright Blessings to YOU,
Priestess Najah

My Cave and My Blanket. Taos, NM.

As the calendar turned to February, I found myself thinking "where is my cave, where is my blanket?".  My calendar reminded me of how unnatural it is for us to go against the grain of winter.  All I want to do during these days is stay home, read, write and watch movies.  In short, hibernate.

But our society doesn't work that way, at least not in a big city.  We've constructed our world to run 24/7 nonstop and anyone who doesn't keep up that maddening pace is seen as going against the wheel.  "Move over or get out of my way!" seems to be the language of morning and evening drive traffic.

As one who follows the Wheel and is keenly tuned to the seasons, I feel the Earth slow down.  I'm blessed to live in a state where the seasons change.  As the leaves begin to fall in Autumn, I feel a sadness come over me.   As the days get longer, dark and cold, well, some days I'm down right miserable.  I know all about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), but that's not it for me.  Its the going against the grain of Winter, when I all want to do is hibernate.

There is a place not too far from my home where time seems to move at the correct pace.  The enchanted land of Taos, NM.

Taos Pueblo, photo taken by Najah Lightfoot Bagley

Here the Tiwa People of the Taos Pueblo have been in continual existence for over 1000 years, making the Taos Pueblo the longest continually inhabited place, in North America.

And the magical town of Taos has grown up around the Pueblo. 

Taos Inn, photo taken by Najah Lightfoot Bagley

It takes a bit to get to Taos.  Its in the Northwest corner of NM, surrounded by the Blessed Sacred Mountains.  When you drive into town, you can smell pinion and fireplaces burning. Its quiet.  Taos is the home of mystics, writers, artists, cowboys, farmers, chili lovers and friends.  It is sanctuary.  Georgia O'Keefe stayed a spell at the Sagebrush Inn and painted.  Its the only place where I can get my favorite margarita, "Fire on the Mountain", which is made with Mezcal, at the Taos Inn.  In Winter, You can walk down the street at night and barely see another soul.  Yet take a turn into an Inn or Cantina, and there the whole town is enjoying dinner, drinks and camaraderie.

You can visit the Pueblo and feel the Spirit of the Earth, but watch out for the Pueblo dogs who take no prisoners.

We stayed in Taos for a few days, recently. We've been blessed to travel there since 1996.  In Taos, I can smell the pinion, hear the "quorking" of ravens, watch coyotes pad across the road and see the dogs take them down.  I can walk down the road, have a fantastic New Mexican breakfast or buy some sage at the Pueblo.  And even better, I can sit, be still and hibernate.

Hail to the peace and stillness of Winter.  Hail to the cycles of the Earth and to the Turn of the Wheel.

Winter Blessings to You,
Priestess Najah

Blessed Be Imbolc

Image courtesy The White Goddess.UK

Last day of January. Tomorrow the Wheel turns and we celebrate Imbolc/Candlemas. The Moon is waning, the year is moving on. Although in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter holds us in Her grip, Spring is coming. Light a candle to dispel the darkness and winter blues, and to herald the promise the Spring. Hail Blessed Imbolc!
Bright Blessings,
Priestess Najah

Who Can You Turn To

I've shed some tears lately.  Life has been tough in our household as of late.  We've been going through some shit.

I've found myself adrift, alone and wanting.  Feeling let down by practicing my Craft as a religion and the lack of direction for when times get really tough.

One thing that I have always found difficult about the Pagan path is its lack of reliable dogma (for lack of a better word) when things get hard and you're reaching for guidance.  Sure I love the beauty, the mystery and the freedom, to practice any way I please, but sometimes, one needs a sure foot to stand on when life gets hard.

I don't belong to a coven.  I'm solitary.  Solitary also means alone.  I'm very grateful for my friends.  It seems in time of need, truly the only place we can turn to is each other.  The Moon for all Her glory has felt far away and distant.

Spellwork has lost its luster, taking on a persona of something you do for fun and entertainment.  Perhaps we have done the community a disservice by rambling on and on, about the legitmacy and effectiveness of Spellwork.  I have found it to be a distraction from the real work one needs to do, which is to be right within yourself.  Sure, I like my talismans and I have truly found comfort in the light and prayer of a candle, but spellwork, not so much.

And a book.  The Craft, Wicca, whatever you want to call it, has no central book.  So where do you turn when you need comfort and reassurance.  Perhaps if I had grown up Pagan, I would be used to wandering all over the place for reassurance, but I came to the Craft from traditional organized religion and for all its deficits, there is something to be said about the word "organized".

I do have one book, which I was led to by my Year and A Day teacher.  Its called "Earth Psalms" by Angela Magara.  It truly is Goddess Psalms for life.  I'm glad I have it.  I turn to it daily and it is becoming my book.

And I have found comfort and strength through my daily practice of Shao-lin Kung Fu.  As Elder Ed Fitch so succintly put it "the world is not a peaceful or tranquil place".   My daily practice and training in Shao-lin Kung Fu and Tai Chi has helped me weather these times and become strong in ways I could have never imagined.

We're a new religion and new way.  We don't have the legacies of time behind us and that makes it hard sometimes.  We're all still figuring it out.  Sometimes that's good and sometimes that's annoying.

I had to find a new way to be with the Moon.  Last night's Full Moon was in Leo, a selfish Moon.  A time to ask what for you need.  I asked to find a new way, a new way to stand and be in right relationship with Her.  I realized in my dark hours the Moon is ever changing.  She appears, disappears, waxes and wanes.  She leaves us in the dark every month.  But she leaves her stars behind to guide us, help us and to let us know we're not alone.  Even though the stars are not as bright as the Moon they are still there as our guides.  The Sun and bless you Sun, is always there.  It is constant, never changing.  But the Moon has her ups and downs and then she goes away.  While she goes away, we have to faith that She will reappear.  And when She does, oh what joy when we see Her first silver Crescent in the sky.

So perhaps this is the way of faith.  Of our path with the Goddess.  Sometimes she goes away and feels cold and dark.  But She's never gone for long.

Blessed Be.

Congratulations Mr. President!

May Goddess Bless him and keep him!

Blessed Be,
Priestess Najah

"Drawing Down", Myth, Mythology and Religion

"Arms outstretched wide, I open my Spirit and Being to the Goddess.  I recite "The Charge" fueled with Her presence and feel the glory of the Divine wash over and through me".  It occurs to me that as I describe my ecstatic experience, I use words describing the experience as outside myself, bringing something into myself which is not within me.  Have I done myself a disservice?

Lately my thoughts have been turning to Myths, Mythology and Religion.  I have found myself returning to the powerful PBS series, "The Power of Myth" with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers.  How refreshing it was for a deep thinker such as myself to find the series online.  I recently reviewed the Episode 5, "Love and the Goddess" and you can view it here:

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v37616713mbPy9YfF

My altar is covered with statues of the Goddess.  She who cannot be named, She of ten thousand names and faces; Yemaya, Isis, Ishtar, Lilith, just for starters.  I call to Her, pray to Her, but am I really calling to a place deep within me?  When I meditate I close my eyes and go within.  All pointers for a making connection with a Higher Power, say to go within.   Perhaps in the ritual of "Drawing Down the Goddess", instead of "Drawing Down", we should be "Drawing Out".  If we are made of Stardust and Earth, She dwells within us.  The Moon reminds of us of what is within.   Tapping into that innate Higher Power is the hard part. Bringing it forth and acknowledging the Power is within us is even harder, all the while maintaining our humility.

And so I venture forth into the morning dawn and dark night, greeting the Sun, the Moon and Stars.   Trying hard to see inside myself, that which exists in timeless, nameless spaces and places.  Let the Moon and Stars remind me of my true Divinity, that which is within and not separate from myself.

Blessed Be and Happy New Moon,
Priestess Najah

Winter Prayers

 

 

 

The icy days of winter are upon us, in my corner of the World. Thanks to Llewellyn, Ellen Dugan and the wonderful Witches' Calendar for 2013, we are ready for winter prayers. The festival of Holda and Perchta. Wonderful prayer for January 6, 2013:
"All around me now, icy winter winds do blow,
I call Holda and Perchta, the Queens of Snow,
Leaders of the Wild Hunt,
Great Ladies please hear my cry,
Watch over and defend me as you sail through the sky.
By the powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water,
Guard and protect your magickal sons and daughters".
Blessed Be.

 

May your Winter be a Magickal One!

 

Bright Blessings,

Priestess Najah