Today was the 11th annual Pagan Alliance Festival, which marked my second time in attendance. All around it was a great day! I marched in the parade - was part of the "stroller brigade", sang songs, and projected heartfelt energy of love and honour to be a part of such a wonderful community. I also managed to squeeze in a small sunburn. Having arrived around 10:45a and staying until about 6:25p, I got in a decent amount of sun time. We'll see tomorrow just how bad it is, though for now it seems pretty secluded to the areas in which my arms weren't long enough to reach to apply sunscreen (I did remember to get my sandal adorned feet).
As with every year there were tons of vendors, all selling their witchy stuffs. Several booths had clothes of a flowy nature, several had jewelry to fit every mood and theme, and several were somewhere in-between selling travel altars and statuary or even leather masks. The full extent of the items offered cannot be summed up into one measly blog post.
Beyond that, I got to witness the passing of the Keeper of the Light from my own High Priestess, Yeshe Rabbit, to another well respected community member - T. Thorn Coyle. While I don't know her personally, I do trust that she will hold this role to the full extent of the Pagan Alliance's expectations, and still discover bits of herself along the way. But this is not why I am here at nearly midnight, so lets get to the good stuff - shall we? xD
Through my perusing today I found a few things worthy of coming home with me. Trying to be budget conscious means less spending, so in reality I found a LOT of things I really wanted to bring home - but managed to limit myself to just a few. I also want to take this time to note that I have zero affiliation with any of the stores I'm about to mention, whether or not I purchased anything these are the business cards I grabbed.
The first place that caught my attention was a little pottery shop - Woven Potter. What first stopped me about them was the hand crafted coffee mugs with painted trees. After looking around for a few minutes I saw the figurines. Whatever forces you wish to claim were afoot today, as they led me straight to a little green dragon with a curved horn. He was curled up into a little ball, with his eyes open and looking up at me. Reluctantly, I put him down so I could continue on, getting a chance to kind of glance about, before I really was able to look in my usual way.
I also found some cute things at In and Out My Window. Run by two sisters and they've got sun catchers, hand knit tea cup sacks, travel altars, etching sticks, and much more. There was also a jewelry place - Eyescream. She had some awesome headpieces, cameo, key, and gemstone pendants, and so many other things that were just so much to take in (in a very good, pleasing way).
Then, there was this mask. This gorgeous, hand-painted, leather Dragon mask from Oak Myth. Purples and golds, horns and wings, oh my goodness was it decadent! There were other equally lovely masks, including a Peacock and an Athena mask. Really, you should check them out. I did not bring home this lovely Dragon mask, but oh man did it speak to me. Being a glasses wearer, masks are harder for me to use so I wasn't as reluctant to let it go.
Eventually I found my way to the wand shop - Willowroot Wands. I saw them last year, and remember them quite well. Last year I had a vastly different financial standing than I do this year (this whole having a job thing and all xD), so my experience was looking only. This year, on the other hand, I looked with an open heart and mind to finding something - or not, should that be the case. I saw many things that were pleasing to the eye, but there was one in particular that I just couldn't stand to put down - not even for 5 seconds to look at something else. I tried setting it down a few times, convincing myself I could think about it just a little bit longer. It was when I had set it down for that 5 seconds to use both of my hands for something else eye appealing that I knew it was meant to come home with me. With the twisty stem, this dragon wand became my own.
So now, in the midst of a major transition, my dragon collection has grown. I knew this year was going to be special, and with what's been going on thus far I can only wait for what's around the corner.
Mystical Blessings!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
2012: A year of Flowers and Dragons
My thoughts come and go like the wind, though this particular theme keeps resurfacing. It's important to note the things that recur within our day to day lives, and to try and reflect on them. It is my belief that the divine sends us messages, hints, signs - anything really to catch our attention and to give us a glimpse into the future, or to give us that extra bit information that we need to finish a given puzzle.
In December of last year, the coven that I have the honour of Initiating into this year held a Full Moon circle in which oracles were present. These oracles were to deliver messages of the year to come. Now, it's been a few months so I don't remember the exact wording - and to be honest that wording left me before I said my good-bye's that very evening. My mind constantly translates things into statements that it can understand - this was no different. What the message comes down to is this: "Watch him, and in a field of flowers he will show you the way out."
Now, I received this message after I had submitted my application for Initiation, but before I had received an answer on my acceptance. I had been fretting the news for weeks. In fact, it had started before I hit the 'Send' button. It had begun the moment I started putting my words into the application itself. I had such a great calling to this coven from the moment that I had, in a roundabout way, found them. The importance of this is quite simple... This coven, Come As You Are Coven, has formed many traditions - one of which being the Wildflowers. And in that moment, I knew. I knew I had been accepted, that I had been welcomed into the family that they had created.
Flowers are a unique being unto themselves. Within the same species each flower has it's own thumbprint, a special pattern and colouring, a specific energy. Various types have made themselves known, with the Lotus making a more prominent statement. I know that as the year passes this will continue, and I can only pray that I remember the symbolism behind it...
Ever since I found CAYA, various magickal things have been popping up in more frequency. I have refound my admiration for the faeries, and for dolphins, but most importantly for dragons. This year is the year of the Water Dragon. Water is my favoured element, and the first time a Dragon year came into my life I was just shy of 3 months old - so this year holds some valuable meaning.
On top of all of that, I am being reminded of gifts that I once cherished. Having the ability to hear across the veils can be overwhelming, but it can also be a quick transport to anywhere that is less mundane than this place. My system hasn't quite synced up to that standing, but the sensations are becoming more and more clear.
Each initiate has a journey. This journey is unique and mind blowing in ways that anyone who hasn't been through the process won't quite understand. My journey thus far has been quite a ride. Everywhere I turn I notice the same things, patterns, and numbers. Everywhere I go I feel, sense, and know things that no human has any business meddling with. I suppose in that case that it's good that I'm no human, in body - perhaps, but definitely not within my spirit.
Here is simply where my story begins. This is just the beginning, and hopefully the road to where I need to be. Let my path be decorated with flowers, and let my ears be filled with the whispers of the dragons, but most importantly let this journey be blessed!
In December of last year, the coven that I have the honour of Initiating into this year held a Full Moon circle in which oracles were present. These oracles were to deliver messages of the year to come. Now, it's been a few months so I don't remember the exact wording - and to be honest that wording left me before I said my good-bye's that very evening. My mind constantly translates things into statements that it can understand - this was no different. What the message comes down to is this: "Watch him, and in a field of flowers he will show you the way out."
Now, I received this message after I had submitted my application for Initiation, but before I had received an answer on my acceptance. I had been fretting the news for weeks. In fact, it had started before I hit the 'Send' button. It had begun the moment I started putting my words into the application itself. I had such a great calling to this coven from the moment that I had, in a roundabout way, found them. The importance of this is quite simple... This coven, Come As You Are Coven, has formed many traditions - one of which being the Wildflowers. And in that moment, I knew. I knew I had been accepted, that I had been welcomed into the family that they had created.
Flowers are a unique being unto themselves. Within the same species each flower has it's own thumbprint, a special pattern and colouring, a specific energy. Various types have made themselves known, with the Lotus making a more prominent statement. I know that as the year passes this will continue, and I can only pray that I remember the symbolism behind it...
Ever since I found CAYA, various magickal things have been popping up in more frequency. I have refound my admiration for the faeries, and for dolphins, but most importantly for dragons. This year is the year of the Water Dragon. Water is my favoured element, and the first time a Dragon year came into my life I was just shy of 3 months old - so this year holds some valuable meaning.
On top of all of that, I am being reminded of gifts that I once cherished. Having the ability to hear across the veils can be overwhelming, but it can also be a quick transport to anywhere that is less mundane than this place. My system hasn't quite synced up to that standing, but the sensations are becoming more and more clear.
Each initiate has a journey. This journey is unique and mind blowing in ways that anyone who hasn't been through the process won't quite understand. My journey thus far has been quite a ride. Everywhere I turn I notice the same things, patterns, and numbers. Everywhere I go I feel, sense, and know things that no human has any business meddling with. I suppose in that case that it's good that I'm no human, in body - perhaps, but definitely not within my spirit.
Here is simply where my story begins. This is just the beginning, and hopefully the road to where I need to be. Let my path be decorated with flowers, and let my ears be filled with the whispers of the dragons, but most importantly let this journey be blessed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)