Quintilis New Year

I woke up way too early, before six, which is unheard of for me on a day when I don't have to work. I'd heard someone whisper my name in my ear. It's not the first time it's happened, and it's always unsettling. Sometimes it happens when my alarm wasn't set properly or something's occurred to make it not go off (power outage, or me turning it off in my sleep), and it's like a guardian spirit looking out for me. 

I didn't have to go to work today, so I don't know why it happened. 

In any case, it's July 1st, a day that is considered by some to be the beginning of the year. I pulled the Ace of Wands, a card about beginnings, so that seems appropriate. 

Ace of Wands

Beginnings reminds me of this fortune that I got in a cookie years ago. It was during my first week at a new job, and I took it as a sign. I literally taped it to my computer monitor. 

A good beginning is half the task

Sometimes, the universe likes to remind us of old lessons learned.

 

Revival

Just a test to see if anyone is here. I'm trying to rebolster my Etsy site and started an account on BlueSky (which is an alternative to what used to be called Twitter). I've been taking more photos, and added some to my Darkroom account. Of course, all this is part of my Glasya Vectra Productions side hustle, which with the way teaching is going any more, may end up being my full time gig. 

One card for today. Judgement, reversed.

Judgement, reversed

Yep, I'm my own worst critic, and I know it. Thanks, tarot, for reinforcing that. sigh I guess this is a sign I need to stop being such a pessimist. 

GISH

 Any other GISHers here?

I'll be participating for the first time this year, on a team that's "just for fun". I'll also be in the middle of a road trip while doing so, just to make things more complicated. I hope I can help out my team and still have a great time on the road!

If this is something that intrigues you, note that it's too late to sign up for this year's hunt. But you can still check out the action (follow @GISH and @GISHChillax on Twitter), and see what it's all about.

Supposedly, dryer lint and Skittles always play a big role in hunts. Maybe I should make sure I have a stash of Skittles in the car. 

I'll try posting some things while on the road trip, but I might not be able to, depending on my cell service. If not, I'll be back at the end of August! Hopefully, it's not too hot nor humid.

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Tired

This heat has been brutal. I'm usually fairly heat tolerant, and even I've been hiding to avoid going out in it and looking to make sure the air conditioning is working in my car. 

Stay safe and hydrated out there. Get to a cooling center if you need to.  

Energy Conservation

When I create my wands, I need to feel like I have enough energy to do so. This is part of the reason I almost always conceive and build my wands outside. 

Letting the sunlight cleanse the copper and the stones even as I work with them

It's nice to just be outside when working like this anyway, and I have a wonderfully overgrown backyard with old maple trees and a forest-vibe which always makes me happy (except for the poison ivy that is interspersed here and there!). 

Letting the backyard "return to Nature" also means that I see lots of birds and other animals frequently. There's a fox that comes through regularly in the early evenings, and I recently also saw a box turtle! 

Thinking about this turtle still makes me very happy

With all of the birds, I often do find feathers, usually robin feathers. I will sometimes incorporate the feathers into a wand. Gray feathers are associated with peace, calm and tranquility, and I most often put them into wands with hematite (a grounding stone). 

A gray feather being put into a wand

I'll be going on a long vacation soon, and will hopefully come back with plenty of excess energy to create more and spend more time in my backyard. 

If you are interested in reading more about links between animals and spirituality, here's a book you might like. 

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The Basic Tenet

I just saw this post on Twitter.  

LOUD REMINDER that you do not need to adhere to or meet the requirements of some made up gatekeeping list in order to be a witch

you dont need a coven
you dont need any deity
you don't need a familiar
you dont need to follow sabbaths
and you sure as fuck don't need permission

— 𝔖ɧᏇҽҽ ♀️ pro-choice is pro-life!! (@Iamshwee) July 22, 2022

I've been a solitary witch my whole life, mainly due to my job which despite their claims of embracing all diversity, including religious diversity, I doubt would support my Wiccan beliefs if push came to shove. 

I read books, I read posts and articles. My spirituality is mine. The one thing I feel most strongly about is something I believe is a basic tenet not just of Wicca, but of all religions, though they call it different names. 

The Wiccan Rede: That it harm none, do as you will.

Along with that is the Rule of Three: That which you put forth returns to you threefold, be it good or bad. Do good, good returns to you. Do bad, bad returns to you. 

The "Golden Rule" and the idea of karma are essentially the same thing as the Wiccan Rede. As I learned in my comparative mythology course, one aspect of all religion is an establishment of societal morality, as seen here. 

That being, I realize that not even all Wiccans refer to the Rede, though they still have their own version of a rule establishing morality expectations.  

Anyway, just some thoughts on another day of blast furnace heat. I hope you are doing well. 

Tarot Pull for the Heatwave

Good day! 

It's been pretty miserably hot today, and I know places all over are suffering heatwaves of historical proportions. I'm hoping a storm this evening abates some of the humidity that does make everything feel worse. 

It's like Mother Earth has a fever, and I can't help but wonder if we are the pathogen. Okay, let's be real; it's us. And unlike a MRSA infection on our own skin, we have the ability to decide to not be the pathogen. 

That was my thought process when I did a pull from my Cosmic Tarot deck today. 

Temperance (major arcana)

Temperance seems about right, for what we -- as humans -- need to do. It comes from the Latin temperare, which means "to restrain." We need to restrain ourselves to improve our condition -- how we do things -- and we aren't going to do that without working together to make it happen. Without a change, with the constant indecision on the parts of governments, corporations and even just society in general, we are on a sad path of planetary ruin. 

Maybe we can start listening to those who have long worked with nature instead of trying to tame it for some inspiration and guidance. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit! 

note : some links may be associate links where I get minimal compensation for any click-throughs and/or purchases made