A Little Bit Outside the Box……

Sometimes you need to draw your strength, your inspiration, your next step from somewhere out of the ordinary. Following some Pagan practices has helped me on my journey. Pagan to me is just a call back to our ancestors.  Living from the land, in the truest sense of the word. Every day was a struggle between life or death. Hunger, disease, hunter, hunted. Survival of the fittest. These ancestors of ours used what was right in front of them. The plants, the earth. They gave back. They only took what they could use, no more.

Many of our religious ceremonies are seeped in traditions from a bygone era.  I, having been raised in a Catholic household, see signs of Paganism in almost every ritual of the Church. In fact, Paganism was originally a term that developed among the Christian community of southern Europe during late antiquity to describe religions other than their own, Judaism, or Islam–the three Abrahamic religions.

The Pagan Federation defines Paganism as the ancestral religion of the whole of humanity.  It incorporates the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The necessities of human life.

And so today I had a card drawn for me.

The Knight of Pentacles

This Knight enjoys the finer things in life, as seen by his elegant plume and velvet cloak. He has a clear goal, the delivery of the pentacle. He will not cut corners or look for shortcuts, but travels slowly and carefully until he reaches his destination.

This knight is the most dependable of the knights. You can count on him to do what he says and to do it well. Whatever the task at hand, he’ll work until it’s finished. He’s the handyman who can do anything. He’s the kid who works his way through school and manages to save for his house at the same time. He’s good about saving and investing carefully, but he’s not about making a quick buck or taking big risks. He is extremely organized, maybe annoyingly so. He can be a loner, preferring staying home to nightclubs or large parties. He is sometimes a little too cautious in his choices and a little too tight with his money. He can be dull and stubborn.

Pentacles relate to the element of Earth and the realm of matter and ability. They are the development of consciousness. This is the suit that shows the outcome of all your energy and what it is you are manifesting.

The Knight is a focused energy. He is the quester setting out on an adventure. The knight is very important for without him, nothing new would come about. (Tarot reading from Wiccan Moonsong)

And there you have it, my card for February 10, 2016.

Love, Light and Blessings to you, my friends.

Who. Are. You?

 

There was once a path that led me to you. It began with that first glance. That first innocent step. There were common interests.  Ultrarunning, obviously. Charity. Giving. A gap in our lives that needed filled.

I remember that innocence. But also that feeling of something more. Something you had that I craved. Something I desperately wanted. And you knew that. You fed on that. You took care to share with me. Everything I wanted, needed, to hear. You said all the right things. You had all the right responses. You had a spirit which spoke to me, in many languages.

Who was this person? How is it that we found each other? I asked this of you often-later. I could not imagine that this person, you, wanted anything to do with me. Not certainly in the sense I thought that our conversations may be leaning towards.

Our messages became more intimate. We shared our our goals, our ambitions. Now I know it was only me sharing my dreams. You weren’t sharing anything. You had no goals. No ambitions. You had one thing on your plate.

I should have been more cautious. I should have seen the signs.

Relentless Forward Progress

Every battle is really a blessing. If there was no bad, how would we know when we’ve got it good? I am thankful for everything that has happened to me, good or bad. It has brought me to the place I am now, and has introduced me to the most amazing and wonderful people! Do not live with regret, it is only a hindrance. Yes, grieve, be sad or angry, but look forward and be hopeful for the next chapter in your life!!!

 

Well, I guess I finally started a blog

Here goes. I have long talked about starting a blog. Somewhere else to share thoughts, perhaps with a little more autonomy and freedom. Some place with more opportunity to really delve into feelings, thoughts, emotions.

Some posts will have a purpose, something to share with you, reader. Other times it will be a place for me to air my grievances in a media where I might not find judgment……

So, Day 1.

I have found myself in a similar place as other cold winters in WNC. Alone. A relationship, what I thought was “the” relationship, fell apart; literally before my eyes. And one day, a month ago now, I returned from yoga to find my home once again mine, devoid of another person who shared my space, shared my life. Six months, gone. Without a good-bye. Just gone. I have struggled with sadness, anger, betrayal, confusion. Struggled to share my thoughts with anyone who may understand, even a little bit. Struggled with the fact the person I thought I knew was very much not the person I thought him to be, nor who he portrayed himself to be.

Ah, but I have endured, and will continue to do so. Coming back from a running injury, I find myself in an interesting place now in my life. A turning point. And boy, am I EXCITED.  I have lots of new adventures planned. Cross-country trips, races in amazing places with great friends, and a very big move on the horizon. A chance to make new friends, and perhaps to find that elusive thing. Love. It will be a long, challenging journey. So, here we go.