tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623902404695166892024-03-13T13:19:33.247-07:00With My Lantern Held AloftMy thoughts on being a modern-day male witch in collegeIolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-5544744871334786302011-01-29T13:24:00.000-08:002011-01-29T13:24:32.077-08:00New Blog for a New YearOkay, I know it has been a new year for more than a month now. I wrote up a little thing before the end of 2010, and I completely forgot to hit publish. Silly me.<br />
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So quick version. I wanted to start fresh, so I followed my dear friend over to wordpress. I started a new blog there for a new year. I called it By Stag and Eagle. You can read about my goals and such for a new blog in the first post and see what I have been up to over the past month.<br />
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<a href="http://stagandeagle.wordpress.com/">By Stag and Eagle</a><br />
I hope you all enjoy my new blog and continue to read what I have to say.<br />
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Thank you<br />
BenIolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-2373935356739371852010-11-12T22:20:00.000-08:002010-11-12T22:28:03.797-08:00Crafting Bug<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/TN4ESXb2ZFI/AAAAAAAAAMw/K14jdapIjTg/s1600/DSC01954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/TN4ESXb2ZFI/AAAAAAAAAMw/K14jdapIjTg/s320/DSC01954.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>First off, yes this is my second blog within a week after not blogging for four months. I have a slight lul in the workload and I am taking full advantage. <br />
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This pentacle took me quite some time to complete. It started as just another design but I decided that I needed to meditate so I started to get intricate, and this is where I ended up. My grandmother gave me a special marker to do the super intricate stuff like the knotwork on the star and the vinework in the background. It is one of my favorite pentacles that I have done to date.<br />
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Now to my blogging. So recently, in the very little free time that I have, I have been on that death trap that they call Etsy, looking at all of the fun things that people craft and sell for exorbitant prices. I never look with intent to purchase things, just to look and see what others are making. I quite enjoy going through the pagan things and seeing what all people make. There is quite a bit of bullshit out there, but there are also some pretty good and interesting things there. As I look through them, I think, some of these things are pretty cool, but I could totally make that on my own and make it better than they did. I have no need to buy it from someone who is selling it for a ridiculous price.<br />
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The bad thing about Etsy, is that it awakens that part of me that wants to make things. I love to be able to make things for myself. It is one of my favorite parts of being a witch. I can make most everything that I will need. Over the summer I started my herb garden so that I could start making things for myself and using my herbs for cooking and all of that. My friends at school love my herbs and use them frequently. Over the summer, my dearest friend and I made a list of things that we have to and want to craft for ourselves, because Ancasta shares my love of crafting. I am of the belief that something made with one's own two hands is linked to the maker and are much more powerful than something that you just go and buy to the store. Plus there is the added satisfaction of being able to say... "yep. I made that. With these two hands," *holds up hands,* "I made that." Things are never <br />
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Since I have started on my Etsy surfing, I have gotten the urge to craft, to make something with my own hands. It is always there, but I have been so insanely busy that I havent had time to think about it. Now it is coming back and I am yearning to do some more crafting than just what is in my art class, and I definitely do not have time for it. What with there only being 2 and a half more weeks of class left before finals. I have started compiling a list of crafts that I want to do. Things that I can remember from the master list that Ancasta and I created over the summer (the list that she has), and things that I have gotten ideas for in my surfing and oogling. I try to sate the need to craft with minor things. I have made another batch of my headache cure, and the other day my friends and I had a steak night and I made some pretty delicious rubs for our steaks. Sadly, that is all that I have time for in this mad rush of classes and tests and such.<br />
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I am so looking forward to winter break. I will have all the time that I want as well as the help of Ancasta throughout my month-long break. I am so thoroughly excited for it because this craft bug does not go away and hopefully it will be sated.Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-76399881427980613762010-11-08T22:42:00.000-08:002010-11-08T22:42:19.847-08:00Crafting, classes, and new living arrangementsFirst of all, I would like to apologize for disappearing from the blogosphere for 4 months. I haven't had much inspiration and then I got back to school and became insanely busy. At 18 credit hours of mostly hardcore science classes, I dont think that I can be blamed for a lack of time. I have also been lacking time for witchery, but I've managed to squeeze some in here and there. Mostly through my art class.<br />
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First off, my rather exciting plans for next year. Myself and 6 of my closest friends at college have just recently signed a lease on a rental house here in Findlay. It will be so nice to finally be off campus. Our landlord is a kindly old gentleman who is being very lenient and loves having a group of college students. It is a 5 bedroom house that is within walking distance of campus. One of my favorite parts is that I get my own room by virtue of the fact that I am the only man in the house. I will have my own room that I can witchify as much as I want. Our landlord is even allowing candles and incense, which will be awesome. It will be an interesting experience, and I will post picture of our house as soon as I have them.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/TNjiJ8PXwQI/AAAAAAAAAMc/U8we6ryOlrQ/s1600/DSC02024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/TNjiJ8PXwQI/AAAAAAAAAMc/U8we6ryOlrQ/s200/DSC02024.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/TNjiAhrUI5I/AAAAAAAAAMY/_3DbTYr065Q/s1600/DSC02022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/TNjiAhrUI5I/AAAAAAAAAMY/_3DbTYr065Q/s200/DSC02022.JPG" width="200" /></a>In my art class, we have done a couple of projects that are turning out to be awesome and loads of fun. The class is called Design in Crafting, so clearly it must be awesome. So far we have made a clay box and a vampire stake, and we have a silver ring and a salad serving set in the works. I have been trying to incorporate witchiness into every work. For the clay box, I put some pictish spirals on it and a triskelle on top. I love working with clay, and being able to work some of myself into every bit of it. This box turned out very nicely, and is currently awaiting use. The vampire stake was just to practice woodworking, but it was a fun and interesting project anyway. The salad serving set is not quote done yet, I am still sanding them and have to cut out the tines of the spork and to scoop out the bowl of the spoon. The project that I have been most excited about was the ring. We first carved the ring from a wax blank. I spent 2 weeks getting it to the right size and polishing it as much as I could. I then carved the word "Draoi" into it in ogham, the celtic tree script. It means druid in gaelic. I worked quite a bit of energy into the wax as I carved it and smoothed it. Then I finally got to cast it in silver this morning. It was nowhere near a perfect cast. The mold blew out a bit, and I had to grind a lot of excess off and the bottom portion of the ring casted very poorly. There is a gaping hole in the bottom, but my teacher says we can cut the bottom out and smooth it so it will still work. I am currently in the process of sanding and grinding it down to make it shine and make it smooth. Our next and final project is a small panel of stained glass.<br />
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I hope that in future I will be a little better about blogging, but I cant make any promises with finals being little more than a month away. I will definitely post pics of the final salad set and the ring. I plan on blessing and consecrating the ring when it is done. I cannot wait.Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-57324018467692501252010-06-17T08:38:00.000-07:002010-06-17T20:41:20.999-07:00Pyros unite.I am getting my hands on a wood burner this afternoon. Be afraid. be very afraid. As a cardinal water sign... fire is not always my best friend, but hopefully this goes well. I was actually banned from fire by my friends(we just cant tell em bout this). We shall see how it goes. If yall hear about a house burning down in North Olmsted Ohio, you know what it was...<br />
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Also, look forward to more fun works of art from meIolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-43656199374031786512010-05-13T21:49:00.000-07:002010-05-13T21:49:16.710-07:00I Just Dont Understand PeopleFirst of all, let me start by saying that this is not one of those whiney blogs that is dripping with want for pity. I dont want pity, I just want to vent about people and how I do not understand what the FUCK goes on in their heads sometimes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>First, a lil backstory. Before I went to college, I was very involved in 4-H. I leased and showed mini horses until the day that I finally got my own. I couldn't afford to show or own a saddle horse, and the minis were enough fun as it was. So I finally got my own Mini. He was this fat little black horse who had more personality than your average person. I instantly fell in love with the little guy and named him My Little Wizard.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-zO73Qe5GI/AAAAAAAAALs/j6U7TKDxHe0/s1600/008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-zO73Qe5GI/AAAAAAAAALs/j6U7TKDxHe0/s320/008.jpg" /></a></div>This is him all prettied up before a show. <br />
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I showed him for three years and got him in shape and forged a close relationship. Anyone who is a horselover understands that the bond between a person and their first horse is an amazing thing. Wizard was a best friend, and was there for me through some tough times. I loved that little guy.<br />
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When college rolled around, I had to leave which meant that nobody could make it out to the barn to take care of Wizard as much as he needed. So we found a 4-H family that leased him for a year. He loves kids, so it was great to see him with a family with two little girls and a young boy to play with. He was genuinely happy with them, so when it came time for his lease to expire we asked if they would be interested in buying the little guy. They bought him about six months ago, and I was sad to see him go, but I was also happy that he was with a family that loved him and that could give him the attention he deserved.<br />
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Well I am back home for the summer and I decided to drop in a meeting of my old 4-H club because I want to be an advisor. The lady who bought Wizard seemingly tried to slip out after the meeting but i cornered her and asked her how Wizard was doing. It turns out that he got caught up in his stall and died almost a month ago. I could tell that she was still shaken over it, but it did not make me any less angry. Why the fuck did I not get a phone call to tell me that my best friend was dead? I know that he wasnt technically my horse anymore, but i think that I deserve at least that much respect. I dont blame them for what happened, it was a freak accident. But I do think that is was selfish and asinine to not tell me that my horse was dead. Had the tables been turned and I was the one with a dead horse, yes, i would have been crushed. However, I would have the decency to tell them in a timely manner. I dont even think they were going to tell me, but I had managed to corner the woman after the meeting. That is just so infuriating.<br />
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Am I overreacting? I dont think so, but maybe you have different opinions. Feel free to tell me what you think about this.<br />
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Anywho... here is to Wizard. My best friend and first horse. I still love him and I hope that he is just as amazing a soul in his next incarnation.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-zPLBH3M2I/AAAAAAAAAL0/xBvMlUvyMvU/s1600/034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-zPLBH3M2I/AAAAAAAAAL0/xBvMlUvyMvU/s320/034.jpg" /></a></div>Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-9474998567100503382010-05-11T17:07:00.000-07:002010-05-11T17:07:14.742-07:00Herbcrafting Kick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-nhmjzshlI/AAAAAAAAALc/IjhBdH3V5Xk/s1600/DSC01580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-nhmjzshlI/AAAAAAAAALc/IjhBdH3V5Xk/s320/DSC01580.JPG" /></a></div>Next piece of pagan art. This is a goddess-themed pentacle. It was kinda just something fun and colorful. <br />
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Maybe it is just the surge of life that comes with springtime, but i have been on an herbal kick of late. I have flowerpots all over the front porch and the deck with various things planted in them, and I want more. My dad is starting to get annoyed with all the sprouting foliage around the house, but he is just going to have to deal.<br />
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So far, I have parsley, oregano, and chive sprouted and growing strong. I also have spearmint and lemongrass planted and it should be sprouting any day now. I also want more. I have been applying for jobs in the area and as soon as I have some income, I plan on getting some more seeds to plant and grow them over the summer and then take them to college so that I can harvest herbs all year long. It is a rather exciting prospect as my friends have a house and I can leave my plants that don't fit in my dorm room there and we can use them in our cooking. I can also harvest and dry some for use in whatever i need them for.<br />
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I have also been thoroughly interested in wildcrafting. As I wrote about in my last blog, my family and I went camping last weekend and my mom and I spent quite a bit of time exploring the hills and finding plants. We are going again this weekend and I am quite excited to explore some more and maybe bring some things home. I also invested a gift card in a plant identification book. Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and medicinal Plants. I dont know how good it is, but we shall see when it arrives in the next two or three days. <br />
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I want to work on my plant knowledge because, frankly, it sucks. I could identifiy some of the obvious ones, but for the most part I am terrible with plant identification. If any of my 5 readers knows of good books feel free to recommend them to me. I dont really have anyone who can teach me and I really want to learn.<br />
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That is all for this blog. Hopefully I will be able to post some more blogs in the near future as I am jobless thus far this summer.<br />
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Blessed BeIolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-41089695306185705982010-05-09T17:29:00.000-07:002010-05-09T17:29:41.706-07:00Primitive camping and a connection with natureSo my family and I went camping this weekend for mother's day on our family's property in southern Ohio. It is a 60-acre patch of land that we go down to camp on and refer to as Harrison. We plan on moving down there but the cabin is yet to be built due to lack of funding. So we are content to camp in tents and our camper that we have permanently set up down there. This was a short camping trip as we left Friday afternoon and came back Saturday night, but it has been over a year since i have been there so any time there is amazing for me.<br />
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Harrison is old coal land in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It used to be heavily forested and chock full of wildlife until some idiot discovered coal. So then, it was strip-mined to fulfill the greed of man. Once everything of any value in the area was stolen, it was parceled off and sold dirt cheap. Now, it is all either privately owned or part of state parks. The trees are coming back and new lakes and ponds dot the landscape. There are young forests forming all over and there are even a few gigantic trees that escaped the strip mining that now stand as great lords of the forest. This is one of my favorite parts about the property. It is proof that even through some of the worst of human's greed, nature can still bounce back strong.<br />
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We spent friday night etting up our camp and I just reacquainted myself with the area. We sat around the fire until about midnight when the storms started to blow in, then spread the fire and moved into the camper. I stood outside until the rain became to heavy and then i moved to my bed inside. I fell asleep to the lullaby of rain lashing the camper and thunder shaking the earth around me. It was quite an amazing experience that I have not had the pleasure of in quite some time. The morning dawned wet and cold and we cooked a delicious breakfast of hobo pies on the camp fire. Dad and my brother were all about the fishing so mom and I tagged along and explored the lake while they fished. I found a hole patch of wild onions and so i rooted out some onions and explored the old beaver dam while my dad and brother competed for fish. We then moved to another lake and of course, dad and jake fished while mom and I took the dogs and explored the surrounding area. It was a great experience. Mom and visited and old great oak tree that I cant even stretch my arms half way around. We discovered a ton of different plants and herbs and flowers and got quite a workout scaling the slope. I felt so connected with nature, it was amazing.<br />
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Unfortunately, we had to come home to suburbia, so here I am blogging. I think that spending time in wilder places is great for modern man. I love these modern conveniences, but I've never felt at home in suburbia. This closed-packed urban hell is just not for me. I find myself closer to the gods and closer to myself when I am wandering the hills, discovering the treasures of nature.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-ZK6T_MCdI/AAAAAAAAAE8/TMfXyFuZisE/s1600/DSC01729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-ZK6T_MCdI/AAAAAAAAAE8/TMfXyFuZisE/s320/DSC01729.JPG" /></a></div>Ain't that just the most redneck setup that you ever did see?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dIV3y5gmI/AAAAAAAAAJs/L3g02VtZttw/s1600/DSC01781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dIV3y5gmI/AAAAAAAAAJs/L3g02VtZttw/s320/DSC01781.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dJgYAQ71I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/k65ygOV4LWg/s1600/DSC01785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dJgYAQ71I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/k65ygOV4LWg/s320/DSC01785.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dKAtl8jXI/AAAAAAAAAKE/6m5FYjmbx3w/s1600/DSC01786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dKAtl8jXI/AAAAAAAAAKE/6m5FYjmbx3w/s320/DSC01786.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dKbQdzr8I/AAAAAAAAAKM/N-GEaJYARF8/s1600/DSC01787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dKbQdzr8I/AAAAAAAAAKM/N-GEaJYARF8/s320/DSC01787.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dLMtyaUVI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ImcXr0dZ6MI/s1600/DSC01794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dLMtyaUVI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ImcXr0dZ6MI/s320/DSC01794.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dM9DhmHuI/AAAAAAAAAK8/gzEbvtmYGdo/s1600/DSC01806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dM9DhmHuI/AAAAAAAAAK8/gzEbvtmYGdo/s320/DSC01806.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dNac0NeeI/AAAAAAAAALE/zqH_a2pyhB0/s1600/DSC01807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dNac0NeeI/AAAAAAAAALE/zqH_a2pyhB0/s320/DSC01807.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dK5KRCbXI/AAAAAAAAAKU/TP6xvEU5CR4/s1600/DSC01789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dK5KRCbXI/AAAAAAAAAKU/TP6xvEU5CR4/s320/DSC01789.JPG" /></a></div> This is our lake, and the one around which we hiked and explored to find all of those flowers and plants above. it was formed by a beaver who dammed up a stream. Unfortunately, due to the greed and sheer blood lust of man, the dam was destroyed and the beaver killed, just because. That is the story for another blog.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dI9-P1utI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/BA6A5XED6K4/s1600/DSC01784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dI9-P1utI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/BA6A5XED6K4/s320/DSC01784.JPG" /></a></div>Here is The Lord of the Wood. A gigantic oak tree that is so big around, i cannot even get my arms half-way around. Standing next to this tree is an experience. It is so old and wise, and full of energy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dL59clfeI/AAAAAAAAAKs/zQetQSpM1FU/s1600/DSC01796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dL59clfeI/AAAAAAAAAKs/zQetQSpM1FU/s320/DSC01796.JPG" /></a></div>My dog Chance enjoying the lake<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dN5r4VbtI/AAAAAAAAALM/Wt6ZDPjqUG4/s1600/DSC01810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dN5r4VbtI/AAAAAAAAALM/Wt6ZDPjqUG4/s320/DSC01810.JPG" /></a></div>My other dog, Jenna<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dMerZk9rI/AAAAAAAAAK0/oDs-D1haqXQ/s1600/DSC01799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dMerZk9rI/AAAAAAAAAK0/oDs-D1haqXQ/s320/DSC01799.JPG" /></a></div>The other lord of the wood, a massive beech tree that was struck by lightning and yet still holds his reign over the other trees in the area.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dLjRs389I/AAAAAAAAAKk/UGNPQsYZulw/s1600/DSC01797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dLjRs389I/AAAAAAAAAKk/UGNPQsYZulw/s320/DSC01797.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dOV-RPYSI/AAAAAAAAALU/IM3R9ckpCug/s1600/DSC01812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S-dOV-RPYSI/AAAAAAAAALU/IM3R9ckpCug/s320/DSC01812.JPG" /></a></div>All of us were worn out. Even the dogsIolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-17292044312417803602010-04-07T19:30:00.000-07:002010-04-07T19:30:22.646-07:00Macroinvertebrates and my thoughts on city witchery<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S7unLCrHRJI/AAAAAAAAAEU/9gYUQWqpGb4/s1600/DSC01445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S7unLCrHRJI/AAAAAAAAAEU/9gYUQWqpGb4/s320/DSC01445.JPG" /></a>This piece was kind of a random one. I just started with some intricate knotting and it radiated into this. I am quite proud of it as it is the best celtic knot work that i have produced to date.<br />
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Now to the blog.<br />
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Today, my friends and I decided to be nature dorks. We wandered down to a small stream on the north end of the Findlay campus and spent about an hour searching for macroinvertebrates. A.K.A. the awesome little creepy crawlies in streams and ponds and such. Our hopes were not high as the creek is not a very good ecosystem. It runs through a city so it is polluted as all get out, and the university just shut down our ice rink and dumped all of the water down into the creek (yeah it pisses me off too, but that is a different story.) The creek actually turned out to be a little healthier than we expected, which was quite the suprise.<br />
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We found tons of aquatic worms. We found a bunch of crayfish, but could only catch one for observation. he was a cool little bugger and missing a claw and antenna. we found a scud and a sick fish with some sort of tumor on its side. We also found dozens of bivalve shells that we are going to bleach in the sun and make necklaces out of. We also discovered several caches of fish eggs, which we carefully replaced so as not to injure the future fry. the creek was full of minnows and water striders as well, but those are hard to catch with one's bare hands. It was great to see a creek that is flourishing despite the massive destruction being inflicted by man.<br />
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So this whole experience got me thinking about how much I love nature and how much i really want to live in the middle of nowhere so that I don't have to deal with people when I am at home. I currently switch back and forth between living on a college campus and living in suburbia. I cant say that I care for either one as I am quite effectively cut off from nature. I love camping and being completely immersed in mother nature, it makes me thoroughly happy.<br />
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This also got me thinking about some debating that I had with several witches a few years ago. They were the witches who lived in the big city and had nearly completely cut themselves off from nature, and they loved it. They didn't think that nature was all that important, and were quite content to live in the heart of a massive city and not have to deal with nature. this got me heated up because i believe that nature is the source of our power as witches, and was the whole reason for magick to begin with. Magick was originally used for a successful hunt and a bountiful harvest. Furthermore, the god and goddess are in nature. They dont exist in skyscrapers and massive cities. They are in the soil, the rocks, the trees, the animals the plants. <br />
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I know the whole to each his/her own, but i just don't understand the allure of city witchery. What got me involved in the craft was wanting to be closer the the earth and I have made myself an advocate of nature. So i guess you could say that I am a little biased, but it makes absolutely no sense to me. I'm not even going to start with online covens and such. that is a whole separate blog in itself. What do yall think? I want to know the consensus on the topic that i have dubbed city witchery. Legit magick or udder twaddle-speak?Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-15152157864843474752010-03-30T18:30:00.000-07:002010-04-03T15:16:20.601-07:00I am a witch damnit!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S7KVWWFPBkI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2-NS1DrkI60/s1600/DSC01586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S7KVWWFPBkI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2-NS1DrkI60/s320/DSC01586.JPG" /></a></div>Okay so before i get into my ranting... here is more art.<br />
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This is a pencil drawing of Cernunnos, my patron God. I attempted to color it, but it did not turn out too well so I left it in black and white. I hope that you all enjoy it. I am quite proud of it, as my human (or satyr in this case) drawing skills are not all that great usually.<br />
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Now to my ranting....<br />
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As I have said in past blogs, I attend a religious university. The pagan population here is very minimal, and, as I am starting to learn, quite uneducated. This is starting to annoy me. I met a girl in theatre who claimed to be a wiccan. I had a feeling she was one of those people who got into wicca as part of a rebellious stage, but, being a fairly good person, i kept an open mind. We started discussing religion backstage the one day, and I was sorely tempted to smack her.<br />
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Now, i understand your average person who knew nothing about withchery not knowing the terminology. In fact i have gotten used to explaining it to friends and acquaintances who don't know any better, and i harbor no ill will towards them. But, in my opinion, if you are a witch or wiccan, you should know that the term for a practitioner of magick whether male or female is "witch." This girl looked at me like I was crazy when i described myself as a witch. She told me that I was wrong, and that I am a warlock or wizard. I hope that you are facepalming at this point, because if you aren't, you shouldn't be reading my blog. She was adamant that I was wrong, and that she had been a wiccan for three years and she was right. As i said before, this kind of talk is acceptable from someone who is your average every day person, but from a wiccan who claimed to be practicing for years it is just unacceptable. I dont know any modern wiccan trad that uses the terms "warlock" or "wizard" to describe their male members. According to wikipedia, warlock means oath-breaker or deceiver. I am neither and I resent being called one by someone who should know better.<br />
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It probably wouldnt bother me so much if it was just one person, but i have had several people who claim to be witches who have had this argument with me and I am quite tired of it.<br />
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that is all<br />
Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-82716558513488732792010-03-29T21:18:00.000-07:002010-03-29T21:18:26.544-07:00My new designSo this amazing new design is courtesy of my most amazing and dearest friend, Ancasta. She is a computer wiz and i am absolutely amazed with the magic that she weaved with my blog. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.<br />
Ancasta I love you<br />
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That is all Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-35107623999046342022010-03-25T20:02:00.000-07:002010-03-25T20:02:35.163-07:00My Revelation.. a long overdue blog about my religious awakening over the past few months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S6u1VdlZghI/AAAAAAAAAEE/C89-SJL9CxU/s1600/DSC01688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zURS04tsFdk/S6u1VdlZghI/AAAAAAAAAEE/C89-SJL9CxU/s320/DSC01688.JPG" /></a></div>Firstly, I have decided to do something with each blog. I am somewhat of an artist and I like to show off my work. So i have decided that I am going to feature a different piece of work with each blog post because I love to hear people's reactions to my work. I love feedback, so please leave some about both the blog and the art.<br />
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This piece is one that I have recently done. it is a Horned-God Pent. i eventually want this as a tattoo on my chest. It was inspired by a recent connection that I have been developing with the god Cernunnos and one of my spirit animals, the stag. I find this to be one of my favorites pieces and I think it is fitting for the first piece that I share.<br />
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I am a witch. It is quite an awakening experience to say that. I have called myself a Wiccan for several years now, and I have recently found myself not agreeing with all things wiccan. I cant really say exactly when i had the revelation. It was not one singular moment really. It happened over a period of time. But the overall result has been that I am not a wiccan. I am a witch. I am an ecclectic witch and I want to howl it to the moon as loud as my lungs will allow. This revelation alone has brought me closer to my deities and made me infinitely more spiritual and made my magic feel much more real and amazing as ever. I cant even describe in words how amazing it feels.<br />
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It is an amazing feeling to find myself in a place that feels so right. Wicca found me, but i think that i called myself a wicca for lack of a better term. I discovered that I am not truly a wiccan. Modern wicca has moved quite a distance from its original intentions and I don't believe that i would have even fit in with wicca in its original intentions. Wicca has become a religion of tradition, and i am not in any tradition nor have I found a trad that fits my system of beliefs and that I truly want to follow. I have found some that I could settle and live with, but this is my religion and I have to settle for so many other things. I refuse to settle for religion just to fit in with people that I don't agree with. Wicca is also fast becoming a goddess cult, which does not sit well with me. After reading about several traditions (including those crazy Dianic Wiccans) i find that there is too much goddess and not enough god for me. It is my belief, that things should be about the duality of this universe. The God should be noticed and worshiped equally as much as the Goddess, and that is not so in far too many wiccan and even pagan traditions. That does not sit well with Iolair Stormwing. I have my patron, Cernunnos and I worship him just as much as I worship the goddess who i have yet to put a name to in my life. Im not saying that there is anything wrong with wicca, im just saying it is not for me. and after having that revelation, it is one of the most amazing feelings that i have ever experienced in my life.<br />
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I am a witch. A cauldron-stirring, herb-growing, grimoire-writing, fire-dancing, God and Goddess-loving WITCH!!! And I howl it at the moon with all the pride that I can musterIolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-23273228009436994642010-01-27T10:42:00.000-08:002010-01-27T10:42:01.420-08:00Jumping on the "An it Harm None" bandwagonOkay, so I have been reading a multitude of posts recently about the portion of the Wiccan Rede that a good number of witches take to heart. Im sure you all know what I am talking about. "An it Harm None, Do What Thou Will." It has been thrown back and forth lately and I decided to throw my opinion out there for those who want to hear it. (I like to pretend that people actually like to hear my opinion, but I know the truth.) Now, I do not consider myself a wiccan, but i think that the rede is a good thing for even witches to follow, as long as they follow it in the right way.<br />
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Personally, i believe that the rede should not be applied to every day life and every situation. The idea of not harming anyone was taken from the original idea of the rede and stretched beyond belief. I am not, by any means, saying that it is okay to harm someone in any situation. I am saying that the idea of "harm none" is may out of control. I have met people, and read blogs of people who take the rede so much to heart that they would not even do harm if it were to protect themselves or their families. I dont agree with this point of view at all. <br />
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I am also coming from the point of view of a Pre-Veterinary Medicine major. I am going to be a veterinarian within the next six to eight years, and that job would require me to cause pain in order to help animals. I am going to have to euthanize animals, and i see no issue there as long as it is better for the animal. (this is a whole different blog topic that i am not going into here.) I am going to have to draw blood, and place IV's and many other things that will knowingly cause the animal pain, but will also get it on the way to healing and getting better. This is not the place to apply the rede.<br />
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I recently broke up with my girlfriend. It hurt her a very great deal. I am an empath, I can feel how much it crushed her. It needed to be done. For my own sanity and to help her in the long run. I knowingly hurt her, and i dont think that I will receive any negative effects for it. This is not where the rede should apply. There are countless times in ones life in which you will have to hurt someone, and its just part of being alive in our society. It cannot be escaped. <br />
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Where should the rede be applied? It is very simple, and i think it has more to do with the original intent of the rede than anyone realizes. Magick. It is as simple as that. Magick can be a very powerful thing, and can easily be used to harm someone. There are also cases in which it accidentally harms someone. I think that the main idea of the rede is saying, do whatever magick you want, as long as you are not knowingly harming someone. Magick has many uses, and us witches put them to use. Personally, i will never perform magick that will knowingly harm another living thing, it just goes against my morals.<br />
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Thats my opinion on the rede, feel free to refute me or just send happy supporting comments.Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-88413193645057683592010-01-20T16:45:00.000-08:002010-01-20T16:45:47.992-08:00Cunning Folk?... I think notSo I recently had an experience on Facepook that had me thinking quite deeply. but first ill talk a bit about myself as I have not posted in a while.<br />
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I am a single man. I have recently dumped my girlfriend as I was not happy with the situation. We are trying to be friends, but who knows how well that will work out. Girls are kinda crazy.<br />
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I am back in Findlay and already hitting the books hard (or they are hitting me, i should say). This is going to be a rough semester considering my schedule consists of general chemistry 2 lecture, physics 2 lecture, cell biology lecture, statistics, gen chem 2 lab, physics 2 lab, cell bio lab, and physiology of animal reproduction and growth. The only class of which I like is repro. It is going to be a very labor intensive semester for me and I need A's so y'all will know why if I am scarce.<br />
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now back to my topic...<br />
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I have recently gotten into joining pagan facebook groups in order to meet new pagans and give what i have to offer to those new, starting off witches so as to avoid a whole new generation of witches following the teachings of Silver Ravenwolf or Fiona Horne. I found one that seemed innocent enough. There were only a few members and the administrator of the group seemed to be a well-informed young man who posted a lot of accurate, factual information in his groups feed. So i read some of what he posted and I posted information about my two favorite shops aswell as a quick bio about myself.<br />
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The admin seemed to take a liking to me, and immediately friend requested me and sent me a message outlining what his purpose was with the group. Honestly, he had me running for the hills at this point. First of all, what kind of idiot is going to friend request someone just based on their little bio on a facebook group, that seems dumb and careless, but it stopped suprising me the more i thought about and read his message. What was his plan you ask?<br />
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He wanted to collect a group of witches to be his "cunning folk," and people can contact him via the facebook group or email with a problem that needed magickal help and he would dispatch a witch of group of witches in order to perform the necessary magick for a fee to be determined by the witches involved. He even talked about performing services over the net. ( I sure hope that you are facepalming as badly as I was when I read this crap). So essentially, this man wanted to be a pimp and for us self-respecting witches to be his hoes. I have a problem with that.<br />
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For those of you who dont know what "cunning folk" are, Sarah Lawless wrote a lovely article about them. <a href="http://witchofforestgrove.com/2009/09/17/cunning-folk/">http://witchofforestgrove.com/2009/09/17/cunning-folk/</a>. You can learn a little about the idea of cunning folk if you so choose<br />
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Now, I know that in olden times, witches would perform services for people in exchange for some sort of payment whether it be food, animals, shelter, etc. This was in a time when magick was taken far more seriously and people were far less intent of suing for all that they can get. In today's times, there are so many people who are afraid of being screwed, and there have been many cases of fraud witches milking naive people for all that they have. There are too many people out there who could pose for witches and take advantage of the average person out there. If you ask me, the administrator of this group is putting himself in a precarious position, and he could be quite liable for the witches that he so naively pimps out.<br />
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Personally, I do not agree with charging for one's magickal workings. I have been told that this idea of not charging for ones work is of North American origin, and I feel that it is a very good idea. I perform tarot and oracle readings for people and I do not ask for anything in return. I look forward for the ability to practice and work on my abilities and build various skills. I would glady work magick for people that I know, but i would not charge for it, I just dont agree with such things.<br />
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Another issue that was raised in my mind is the fact that magick works best when there is a connection between the witch and the one requesting work. I am all for the mixing of natural remedies and such, and they are effective no matter who uses them, but magickal work is not so universal. It is never as strong as when the witch and "client" have some sort of connection. One would have to be a quite powerful witch in order to work magick on a complete stranger. This brings up more liability issues for the administrator of the group.<br />
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As far as online magick, thats just a whole new issue of stupidity that I do not have space for unless I want to make this blog into a novel. I think that it is utter bull and thats all you need to know. <br />
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I think that the owner of this group does not realize what he is doing or the trouble that he could get in if his witch-pimp idea comes to fruition.<br />
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Honestly, I want to know others opions on this topic. You know how I feel, and I want to know how you (my whopping two followers (love you guys)) think.<br />
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thank you for listening to me bitch<br />
Iolair StormwingIolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-82289370189817349942009-12-28T17:10:00.000-08:002009-12-28T17:10:44.034-08:00Pine OilSo I have started making my own simple oils, starting with some pine needles from our yule tree. I have no idea what I am doing, but I am bumbling my way ahead and doing okay. <br />
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I took some pine needles from our tree and bruised them with my mortar and pestle. My Christmas tree is a beautiful white spruce that my mom and I picked out. It is a little on the dry side, but it still smells wonderful. The bruised needles were very fragrant. Ive heard that bruising the herb before placing in oil increases the release of the plant's oils and whatnot. So I put the bruised needles in an empty and clean baby food jar and filled it to the brim with olive oil. I have been turning the jar and making sure that everything mixes. I have heard that this process takes some time, like a few months to be exact, but I have patience (well some anyway). Hopefully after a few months I will have some lovely pine oil. I will let you know that results when i have them.<br />
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If anyone has any more ideas or suggestions I am more than willing to listen and try them. I am still an amateur witch, and willing to learn all that I can. So send your suggestions and thought my way please.Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-74528595927741739352009-11-11T19:26:00.000-08:002009-11-11T19:26:00.810-08:00My Eclectic Hodge PodgeAs I have yet to do a sort of introduction, i feel that I need to. to do so, I am gonna talk about my religion. I believe that the best term to describe what I am is eclectic Wiccan.<br />
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I know that many of the traditionalists look down upon eclecticism, but i find that it works well for me. I draw my current system of religion from many cultures and and traditions from all across time.<br />
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Modern day Wicca is the base for my religion. I read from Buckland and Cunningham and, though i cringe to admit it, a little of Ravenwolf, as well as several other authors. I read them to learn the basic idea of what witchcraft and wicca is. I never followed them strictly, but used them as a springboard for my later ideas.<br />
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I draw a good part of my beliefs from the Celts and the druids. I usually use the Celtic pantheon in workings, and i draw a good portion of my practice from Celtic witchcraft. My magickal name, Iolair, means eagle in gaelic. I got it when a friend and I were playing with the druid animal oracle, and the eagle card became my significator. I have since found out more about Celtic Wicca and i find it much to my liking. However it was not all encompassing to me.<br />
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Animals have always been a huge part of my life. I want to be a veterinarian, and i have always had some pet of some kind to take care of. Even here at college, I didn't last very long before buying a fish tank and filling with exotic fish and one rather troublesome crayfish (RIP Thor). My love of animals has lead me to both druidism and to native American spirituality. Animals play a very large part in both religions, and i have found that the channeling of animal energy came quite naturally to me. It is still a work in progress as i do not know the typical energy of each animal, but i find it being a very important part of my religion. I often ask for the guidance of one animal spirit or another before performing a ritual.<br />
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Overall, i think that individuality is the most important portion of my religion. I don't adhere to any one tradition or creed. I follow my own path. I take tradition and mold it to my own means so that my religion is truly my own. I watch nature and allow her to guide me. My religion is my own, and only mine and I will follow it with my lantern held aloft.Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-30120560671022922902009-11-04T08:02:00.000-08:002009-11-04T12:10:13.415-08:00Out of the Broom ClosetAlright, I am having one of those weeks in which i thoroughly regret being out of the broom closet.<br /><br />When I first decided that I would be openly pagan, I was happy, overjoyed even to be able to openly and loudly call my self a "witch." I knew that I would experience a level of prejudice, fear, and general immaturity. The idea did not daunt me in any way, after all these are not the days in which we scream witch and string 'em up. My parents were shocked and quite a bit confused, but after some explanation they were okay with the idea. My friends accepted the fact and welcomed me with open arms, which i love them for.<br /><br />High school proved to be pretty easy, far more easy than college. I decided to go to a religiously affiliated school in western Ohio because of their pre-veterinary medicine program. It is the top one in the country. I knew that i would experience some issues here, not from the university, but from my fellow students, as we attract many of the fundies around here. But I put my career before my reservations and came here anyway. <br /><br />I love this college. Their program is amazing and I have learned and experienced more than i ever imagined on this side of veterinary school. However, i have definetly received my fair share of dumbassery and ill wishes due to my religion. I have lived in the dormitories thus far and have found them not worth the over a thousand dollars a month that i am paying to live here. Last year, my first year, i was in a hall of jackasses who came to college for no other reason than to waste their parents money and drink themselves into alcoholism. Among them, there were one or two admirable souls who were content to leave well enough alone and go on with their lives. However, there was a group who were lead by this southern, white supremacist, christian asshole. They all tormented me verbally and through fucking with the things on my door. I chalked it up to something to be ignored and just stoically accepted their idiotic words and actions. I am still at odds with the group, but i have moved to another dorm hall. i thought I was better off in another building, but i seem to find the fundies wherever I go.<br /><br />This year, my sophomore year, i live in a first floor dorm in a hall full of men. While they are not as obnoxious as my hall-mates last year, they are even more prejudiced against me. I accepted the verbal, and literal abuse with my usual stoicism. I have grown used to unkind words and i have learned to just ignore them. I erased any unlikeable writings from my dry-erase board without a second thought. My stoicism, however, only lasted until my dry-erase board was stolen from my door. I informed my RA and she filed a report, but, in the end, nothing was done and I am still without a board on my door. This all paled in comparison to the final straw.<br /><br />Yesterday, i came back from a questionable and stomach-irritating lunch in the university dining hall to find that i was missing many objects from my room. My candles, incense, incense burner, smudging stick, and ritual athame were all gone from my room. Also, my tarot cards and animal oracle had been rifled through. As these were all things (with the exception of the cards) that were questionable things to have in a dorm room, i automatically assumed that the university had confiscated them (I had been burning some incense that morning that could be smelled in the hallway). But if it had been the university they would not, or should not, have confiscated any of my belongings without me knowing about it. There was no note in my room, no email, or anything. The other option was that they were taken by the creedist assholes who have been giving me trouble all semester. However, my laptop, iPod, jeep radio, and many other things of value were all left untouched. I do not suspect my roommate only because he was far to concerned over the death of a family member to even consider such things, plus i cleared the burning of incense and candles in our room with him long before i even started rooming with him.<br /><br />I am, needless to say, baffled. There are good for and against both sides of this story. If security had done it, they are not allowed to confiscate my property without notifying me before hand and they are also not allowed to open boxes like the box that i had my tarot cards in. On the other hand, the things that are missing are all objects that the university would take. we are allowed to have candles and incense, but not burn them. I understand taking the burning incense or even the burner, but all the rest of it, NO. there was no reason. If it had been the discriminators, i believe that more would have been missing. However, if the thieves performed a targeted theft, they may have tried to make it look like a security raid. <br /><br />I am so very confused, and I am also wishing that I was still in the broom closet. It is a stress that i could live without at this moment in time. I think that this feeling will go away soon, but honestly i am very discouraged. I will continue to answer people honestly if they ask about my religion. I am still a witch and I am still damn proud. I will continue to move forward from this, with my lantern and my chin held high.Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-662390240469516689.post-50957724196029132822009-11-01T09:51:00.000-08:002009-11-01T19:58:40.371-08:00Samhain 2009: my experiencesAlright, this is my first attempt at a real blog and I find that I am rather excited. I look forward to being able to write about my witchy doings and receive feedback.<br /><br />For my first blog. I will write about my 2009 Samhain ritual because i found it fascinating and very very fun.<br /><br />After spending many hours on Friday night deliberating over what to do, my friend and I finally figured out what we were going to do for our Samhain ritual. We also decided to do it in her apartment because we could have privacy from unwelcome guests.<br /><br />We started off the night with free Chipotle, which I must say is an awesome way to start the night. We then wasted an hour or two exploring the college town and checking out the many costumed drunks wandering around main street. It was entertaining and really got us in the Halloween spirit. We then made our way back to her apartment to prepare for our ritual<br /><br />She tidied up her apartment while I set up our makeshift altar.(its amazing what you can do with a simple printer stand and a handmade pentacle tile) We Lit a bunch of candles around the room because we wanted to have the whole thing lit by only natural light. Once we had adequate lighting with a horde of candles aflame and only slight worry about the smoke detector going off, we began. In the spirit of Samhain, we began with a guided ancestor meditation. My friend guided us through. We focused on those ancestors who have passed on whether or not we knew them. I seemed to focus on my great grandfather. I called him papa when i was little. We invited our passed ancestors to join us in the circle so that they may be present while we meditated and worked out spell.<br /><br />After naturally coming out of our meditative states we reflected on the successfulness of said process and then moved on into our ritual. We used the elements to mark the four quarters. Air in the east, fire in the south, water in the west, and earth in the north. We used burning incense for air, a lit candle lantern for fire, a bowl of water for water, and a jar of salt represented earth. we cast a circle in a non-traditional way. Instead of the typical walking deosil a number of times while casting energy down to form it, we joined hands over the altar and raised the temple through speech and meditation. i prefer this method of circle casting as it is more simple and i find it much more effective.<br /><br />After casting the circle, we called each of the four quarters, asking for them to lend us power in order to perform our ritual. my friend called air and fire, then I called water and earth because these elements correspond to each of us.<br /><br />We then spoke about our purpose in the circle. The veneration of our ancestors as well as to recognize that this is the time of death, before the rebirth of spring. To represent the death, we both wrote down something about ourselves that was holding us back from being the person that we are meant to be and then burning it using the ritual candle. I will keep our writings private, its none of your damn business.<br /><br />Once the the paper was no more than ash, we continued to the next portion of our ritual. We decided to each charge an amulet for two reasons. One to help us if ever that portion of ourselves that was ritually burned came back. The second purpose we charmed the amulets for was to help us if we ever were in a position where our spirituality was becoming far from us. The second purpose was especially important because both of us have had troubles keeping up with Wicca while at college and dealing with things in our lives and neither of us wanted that to happen again.<br /><br />With our purpose met, we thanked and released the elements and then released the circle. We then made our way around the room extinguishing candles until only the altar candles were lit. By that light we gathered the water from the west, some salt from the north, ash from the incense in the east, and all the ash from our burnt paper and used matches. We then took our lanterns and the container holding the representation of each element outside to a nearby wood. We dumped the conents at the base of a tree after dedicating them as our offering to nature.<br /><br />We then made a run to sheetz for food as we had no cakes or ale, given our limited resources.Iolairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292527164189986954noreply@blogger.com1