Happy Birthday, Maia!

Today is Maia's 5th birthday. Wow, I can't believe how fast that goes... She is the youngest cat, and stayed quite little compared to her feline sisters here. If you've been with me on this blog for a while you have seen her before. Let me share a few of the earlier posts about her with you.

Meet... Maia!
first post about her

Thursday Thirteen #53 - Maia
Maia shares 13 pics and facts

Cats On Tuesday #1 - Maia is tired
cute pics of a sleepy kitten

and of course some extra pics...

 

Mother's Day

I think of you, a little extra today

6th Mother's Day without you

I miss you so much

I send you my love and

I remember you, mom...

Always!

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If you still have your mom... please cherish her! Forgive her, love her, even with all her vices - like she loves you with all of yours... Because when she's gone for good, you don't want to have any regrets!

I have no regrets; I've talked and shared everything I wanted with my mom. She forgave me (the gods know I haven't always been the easy one...) and thanked me for all I've done for her. She wasn't always easy to deal with too and I've grumbled a lot, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. She knew she could always count on me and that was mutual. I wish we had had more time together...

You, Me & Religion

Last week Debra of You, Me & Religion contacted me to see whether I was interested to participate in her blog by answering some questions about religion. I didn't know her blog, so I first went over there to read. It explores different religions and belief systems, in an effort to promote understanding between faiths and to learn from one another. To that end, people with different religious backgrounds answer a list of questions. Very interesting!

My interview will be posted on You, Me & Religion at the end of June. I'll give you my answers here, but don't forget to visit the original blog to see the other interviews!

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1) What religion do you practice? 
I’m an eclectic witch. I practice witchcraft, also called The Old Religion or The Craft, a pagan religion. There is not one true definition of a witch. There are different ways and traditions within witchcraft, with a lot of similarities but also a lot of differences. The things I tell you in this post are MY answers and not in any way valid for every witch, although a lot is common among witches.

2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting? 
I was raised a roman catholic, but I always felt some things differently and missed certain aspects. I found them when I encountered witchcraft. Witches don’t convert anyone, most of us are either raised within paganism or discovered it ourselves. If someone is really interested in my path I’ll always try to answer their questions to the best of my ability.

3) Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox, conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance? 
Difficult to say… I don’t feel this really applies to witchcraft. There are people that call themselves witches although they rarely do something ‘active’ with it (celebrate festivals, do magic,, etc.). Some groups or solitary witches never miss a sabbat and/or full moon, others celebrate only a few. All good imho.

4) Within your religion what degree of observance are you? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I didn’t choose a certain degree. Witchcraft has a place in my life, is part of my life. I always pay attention to the sabbats, the moon, etc. but the degree of activity varies. During my time in a traditional coven we celebrated almost every sabbat, had lessons, workshops, meetings, etc. Now I’m free to do what I want. Sometimes I do things on my own, sometimes with a group of people. I do workshops, study, meditate, read, do practical things (like divination, working with herbs) and so much more. There isn’t a day in my life that goes by without something ‘witchy’.

5) What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept) 
Most witches call the afterlife the Summerland. Hell is an invention of christianity, I don’t believe in that concept of punishment.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why? 
Everyone goes to the Summerland. In my opinion that isn’t ‘heaven for pagans’ or something. By everyone I mean everyone: people of all religions but also all other living beings. We just give our afterlife different names. Otherwise we would never see our christian, jewish, etc. family and friends ever again!

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you? 
When I found witchcraft, it felt like coming home. I believe in a Goddess and a God, both equally important. Balance is necessary, or at the least it’s a personal goal. Witchcraft is a nature-based religion. It makes me feel good and matches my general ideas and views. There’s always more to learn. Sometimes it can be a challenge, but I happily accept that. I truly believe this is the right path for me.

8) What are your holy days and what do you do to celebrate them? 
I celebrate 8 sabbats or solar festivals, that are closely connected to nature. They are called Yule (Winter solstice), Imbolc, Ostara (Spring equinox), Beltane. Litha (Summer solstice), Lughnasadh, Mabon (Autumn equinox) and Samhain. All have their own celebrations, symbols, etc. I celebrate lunar festivals too: full moon, dark moon, etc. The phases of the moon have influence on all of us. Some things are better done at the waxing moon, other things need a waning moon.

9) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends? 
Of course! Why not? As long as there is mutual respect regarding faith I see no problem with that.

10) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why? 
Yes, I like to learn about other faiths and have respect for them. If someone wants to share their celebration with me, I’m honoured. It has to be clear though that I don’t have to be ‘saved’ and I’m not there to be converted. I think some people should be more open-minded, a lot of misconceptions and judgments about other religions are based on ignorance and lack of education about them. I have read bibles, koran, tora and other holy books / texts to educate myself. It’s okay to agree to disagree, respect and be respected…

11) What are your thoughts on the burka, and Shariah Law? 
When a muslim woman has freely chosen to wear the burka I have no problem with it, but if she is forced or obliged to wear it I see it as a symbol of oppression and to me that is never good. Regarding shariah law… Well, unfortunately every faith has its extremists and fundamentalists that abuse it and (mis)interpret holy texts for their own good. In my opinion state and religion should be strictly separated.

12) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, imam etc.) in your religion and how do you feel about it? 
Yes, both men and women are allowed to do that. It’s one of the things that appealed to me in witchcraft. In some ways the HPs (High Priestess) is considered more important than the HP (High Priest), but men are not discriminated in the way women are in certain other religions. To me men and women are equal though not the same. I like a mixed group. There are also groups of only men or only women though.

13) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel? 
Do you mean whether men and women are kept separate in worship? No, and I’m glad they are not! My place of worship is preferably outdoors in nature but a circle can be cast anywhere, inside or out.

14) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc? 
Witchcraft is a way of life. I’m always a witch like I’m always a woman. I can’t switch it off. It is part of my daily life including my decisions.

15) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion? 
I wouldn’t mind as long as he/she is happy with it. Everyone has a right to choose their own path.

16) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell? 
Hell and satan are christian concepts I don’t believe in.

17) Who do you think is not a practicing ----- in your religion and why? ie who in the public domain claims to speak for your religion? Do you agree with them or not? 
People in the public domain are not too keen to ‘get out of the broom closet’. Unfortunately there are still a lot of misconceptions about witches.

18) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain. 
No. I’ve always been open about what I do and believe in. Sometimes people don’t (want to) understand it, and/or make fun of it, but hate… luckily not!

19) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you? 
Perhaps it does to others, but that’s their problem, their ignorance. I don’t value people according to their path/faith. If a person feels less because of his/her religion it’s probably not the right path for them, but I believe in free will so it’s their mistake to make…

20) Does your religion give you peace of mind? 
Yes, it certainly does.

21) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
Yes, I believe in an afterlife and reincarnation. Why? Good question… I just do! I have seen past lives in regression, but I don’t need proof.

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You, Me & Religion links:
Blog YM&R
Facebook
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Supermoon

Yesterday the full moon was special. Well, it always is, but it was a supermoon or perigee full moon. A supermoon is the coincidence of a full moon (or a new moon) with the closest approach the moon makes to the earth on its elliptical orbit. Full moon at perigee is 12 to 15% larger and brighter than an average full moon. That has effect on the tides on earth and often people feel the difference too. I'm a full moon child and feel best around that phase, although dark moon has its appeal too as every phase does... It might be explained by the fact that the moon was full at my birth. To check what moon you were born under check this site. What it says about you can be found here and here.

Ron and I attended a full moon celebration with friends, outside on the top of a dune. We welcomed a special guest from Australia and had a wonderful ritual. We talked about this moon and her symbols. It was also lunar Beltane, so fire was all around! Ron made fire with a magnesium-stick, his knife and some tinder he found on the way up the dune. We passed around a big torch on a long stick and shared stories about our relationship with fire. I've always had an ambivalent relation with fire: appealing and scary at the same time.

I shared a very personal story in the circle. I burned something to say goodbye and give closure to a certain period on my path. I asked the fire to transform the feelings of sadness, disappointment and anger into new opportunities and add to the positive feelings I already have about this. It's the circle of life. Death and rebirth. Farewells and new beginnings... I felt free and relieved while I watched the items burn up completely.
After a guided meditation and the cake & wine we opened the circle. Time for some music around the campfire with drums, tom-toms, djembe, rattle and didgeridoo. Wow...

About half an hour before midnight the moon finally showed herself. The sky was clear with just some clouds floating by. We welcomed her and enjoyed the sight. After goodbyes we all went our ways. The moon accompanied us home, but somewhat later she disappeared in an overcast sky.
It was a great and magical night!

Health

Although I have my own medical complaints I don't dwell on my health daily. We should be (more) thankful for it though. Sometimes it's hard when we are faced with the reality of how fragile one's health can be...
In February I got a call from a dear friend's mother. She told me her daughter Kitty had had a stroke, a cerebral infarct. She had been unconscious for 3 weeks, paralyzed completely on the right side, kidney failure, liver damage and more... I was confused, or rather flabbergasted... She is my age, just a few weeks older, so it hit hard!

When we first visited her that afternoon she was in a nursing home. The average age was 75+ there, but she had to stay there because she needed dialysis. She was slowly getting a bit better, had some feeling in her right side, could speak again (though difficult). The situation made us cry together, but we also laughed a lot.

After a few weeks she was transferred to Heliomare, a health rehabilitation centre in Wijk aan Zee. That was a much better place for her, where she got all kinds of therapy. Every time we visited she had made big steps, real progression! She was walking again, and moving / using her arm a lot better. She shows so much strength and determination... I have deep respect for her, and also for her parents who keep supporting her daily anyway they can.

Last week I sent her another card, promising to come by this week. Wednesday she called us to say she was with her parents for a visit. Ron was stunned when Kitty called, another great step! Yesterday evening we drove to Heliomare for the visit. She had wonderful news: she is going home at the end of this month! She has already been home for weekends, first with her parents and later alone. She can walk the stairs to her bed and help herself around the house. Wow!! I'm so glad for her.

When we first visited her, we joked that she and I would be linedancing again this year. I had my doubts about it, but now I say: who knows? She wants to visit our linedance club so we'll contact the instructor and see what's possible. When she shows so much will to persevere we will do whatever we can to help!

Beltane

Beltane Blessings to you!

(and Samhain blessings to my friends in the Southern hemisphere)

Beltane is a Celtic word meaning 'fires of Bel' (Bel was a Celtic deity). It is one of the four major sabbats (solar festivals), which lie on the cross-quarters between the Solstices and the Equinoxes. The last of three fertility festivals, it is a celebration of the union of God and Goddess. It is a time to seek blessings of fertility and prosperity, and love is in the air.

The Maypole is a phallic symbol, and as such represents fertility. Men and women dance around it while weaving the ribbons around the pole to bring fertility and good luck.
The Beltane Fire is another significant part of the celebration. It has purifying qualities which cleanse and revitalise. People leap over the Beltane fire to bring good fortune, fertility (of mind, body and spirit) and happiness through the coming year.

Bless, O threefold true and bountiful, 

 Myself, my spouse, my children. 

Bless everything within my dwelling and in my possession, 

Bless the kine and crops, the flocks and corn, 

From Samhain Eve to Beltane Eve, 

With goodly progress and gentle blessing, 

From sea to sea, and every river mouth, 

 From wave to wave, and base of waterfall. 

 Be the Maiden, Mother, and Crone, 

Taking possession of all to me belonging. 

Be the Horned God, the Wild Spirit of the Forest, 

Protecting me in truth and honor. 

Satisfy my soul and shield my loved ones, 

 Blessing every thing and every one, 

All my land and my surroundings. 

Great gods who create and bring life to all, 

I ask for your blessings on this day of fire.

(short adaptation of Am Beannachadh Bealltain (The Beltane Blessing) )

Oops...

Oops, I did it again... I haven't posted anything new for ages. I still read all your blogs in my Google reader, leave a comment from time to time, but somehow didn't post much myself. There are reasons, personal and other. Someone (don't remember who, when or where) blamed Facebook for being a blog-killer. I don't agree fully, but I must admit it takes time away from blogging. I still think a blog has another and/or added value, so I want to breathe new life into mine! I'll just start anew. :) If you have any questions, suggestions or requests about me, my blog or anything else... just let me know!

For now I'd like to share some pics with you... Click on the pic above the story to visit the album.


Last month Ron and I got tickets for a Re-enactment Weekend on Forteiland, a fortified island at the mouth of the harbour in IJmuiden. Lots of re-enactors were portraying German troops, French resistance, Dutch soldiers  etc. from (mainly) WWII. We enjoyed ourselves very much and made a lot of pictures.



Just like last year we took Arwen (& Foofur) to the Berner Sennen Beach Meeting in Noordwijk. This time 79 Bernese Mountain-dogs, 5 other dogs and 146 people came together and walked along the beach. Such a magnificent sight! Again we made lots of pics and 2 short video's.

Finally winter!

Up until a few days ago this winter wasn't really worth the name. At times it was more like fall and a week ago spring seemed to come far too early. That's not my kind of winter. I'm a winter girl and I want freezing weather, preferably with snow! This last week the temperatures dropped significantly and today it was announced we're having an official cold wave. Yay! Of course a lot of people started to complain, the Dutch are very good at that... *sigh*. You won't hear me complaining, I love it! Friday snow was added to the beautiful winter picture. First we had to go to a funeral; quite the experience, snowstorm on the cemetery... Afterwards we got the dogs and drove to the park to have some fun. Arwen was in her element and Foofur liked it too, although his belly touched the snow. :) 

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The weather fit perfectly for Imbolc! The feast of Brighid, a festival of the hearth and home, and a celebration of the lengthening days and the early signs of spring. Spring is stirring just beneath the snow, but clearly on its way...
Thursday I celebrated Imbolc with the coven. Yesterday Ron and I attended another Imbolc gathering in Eindhoven.

(and Lammas blessings to my friends in the Southern hemisphere)

Merlin Sythove 1955-2012

On January 3rd of this new year Merlin Sythove passed to the Summerlands after he lost the battle with cancer. Although he wasn't a close friend, I'm glad our paths have crossed more than once. I'll miss him. He was a wise man who shared his knowledge happily and freely. We didn't always agree, but always agreed to disagree with mutual respect.

He was an important man for wicca in The Netherlands. In his last days his family, friends, acquaintances and others gathered together on his Facebook-page and on his Silver Circle forum, united in our sorrow. Numerous candles were lit around the world, healing sent, thoughts shared, etc. Even then (and still...) he brought people together.

Last Saturday we celebrated his life in an impressive and moving ceremony. Lots of people came together, dressed in medieval or appropriate fantasy style as was his wish. My heartfelt condolences go out to the people close to him. He'll be missed by many. Thank you for everything, Merlin. May you rest in peace. Until we meet again!

• Merlin Sythove, witch extraordinaire - In Memoriam (Wiccan Rede Online)
• Merlin's Archive - a collection of articles, mostly written by Merlin Sythove. Often published in Wiccan Rede, sometimes written by others and / or published in other journals or web sites.
• Merlin about himself (in Dutch, but you can click the translate button for English, German or French)
• Silver Circle - Center for The Old Religion, founded in 1979

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Elegy For a Dead Witch

by Doreen Valiente

To think that you are gone, over the crest of the hills, 

As the Moon passed from her fullness, riding the sky, 

 And the White Mare took you with her. 

 To think that we will wait another life 

 To drink the wine from the horns and leap the fire. 

 Farewell from this world, but not from the Circle. 

 That place that is between the worlds 

 Shall hold return in due time. Nothing is lost. 

 The half of a fruit from the tree of Avalon 

 Shall be our reminder, among the fallen leaves 

 This life treads underfoot. Let the rain weep. 

 Waken in sunlight from the Realms of Sleep.

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Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone! Sorry I'm a bit late though... A lot is happening, more about that later. 

I won't do a 2011 review, I don't feel like it. A lot of bad stuff has happened then and I don't want to think about that anymore. I want to move forwards. I also have a lot to be thankful for, and I want that to be the focus for the new year!

Yuletide blessings

May this Yule 
by the turning of the wheel 
bring love, peace, health,

happiness & good fortune;

hoping the rebirth of the light

shines new rays of hope

on you and yours!

Happy Holidays to all of you, my friends!

Blogblast For Peace 2011

Today I'm joining hundreds of bloggers across the world in a movement called "Blogblast For Peace". Bloggers will unite in a global cry for peace in this annual event. One day. One voice. All it takes is one post. Won't you join us?

This is the fourth time I'm participating in Blogblast for Peace (and an extra one on 9/11 this year). I stumbled upon this simple but true quote by Mother Teresa and decided to build this year's globe around it. I chose children's drawings of smiles; also simple but very effective!

Blogblast for Peace links

• BFP website
• info on Mimi's blog
• eventpage on Facebook
• fanpage on Facebook
• grouppage on Facebook

Blessed Samhain!

Some time ago I received an intriguing invitation: making a death mask for Samhain with a small group! I didn't have to think long and decided I'd definitely want to be there. So last Saturday it was time! Unfortunately one of the women wasn't feeling well, so we ended up being with 6 'wyld & wicked women'! ;-) Some had met each other before. I only knew the hostess beforehand, so I had the privilege to get to know 4 wonderful women.

First we had dinner at a beautiful Samhain-decorated table. Everyone had an extra plate for someone behind the veils. We shared stories about those people and animals while eating in their honour. This year I dedicated my plate to my dad. For dinner we had a very yummy salad, delicious pasta with pesto and salmon, an exquisite quiche and very tasty pizza! The dessert was even better: heavenly cheesecake and divine pecan pie with vanilla ice-cream.

In the temple called "Ons Ding" ("Our Thing") we prepared the plaster bandages for the masks. In the background you see the veils to the other world and on the right the beautiful altar.
We made the masks in pairs. To protect our skin and to make the mask easier to release we covered our face with a lot of cream. I had a nasty cold, so I was a bit nervous whether I could persevere the plaster. I decided to put some straws in my mouth, so I had both nose and mouth to breathe. Still, it wasn't easy! I started thinking a lot of "what-ifs". That wasn't going to help me persist so I went into a meditative state and that was the right decision. I did it!
Then it was my turn to make a mask. I soon felt I was very tired and the cold didn't make it any easier. I wanted to finish the mask, so I kept on putting plaster bandages. I struggled. I realized it wasn't working and felt so bad... Finally I asked someone else to take over. That was so hard, I felt I had failed miserably. In the kitchen I cried, but everyone was so kind and comforting! My mask partner got a beautiful mask nevertheless and she wasn't disappointed (as I had feared). On the contrary, she accepted her own lesson in this with grace; we talked it over and hugged.

Afterwards we all talked about what making the masks had done with us. Generally speaking death-masks are made after a person dies. Look here for examples. To do it on a living person can feel strange, especially when the eyes and mouth are covered. You literally shut them up...
Meanwhile, it was very late so we set up the beds and dived in! Unfortunately one of the women had to go home. I slept next to the veils in Ons Ding. In the morning we had a long breakfast / brunch, closed the circle and then we said our goodbyes. Thank you for everything, lovely ladies!

Witch's tools

I've got a lot of 'witchy stuff': statues, incense-burners, candle-holders, stones, feathers, altar cloths, etc. etc. Some bought (new or second-hand), some given to me, some self-made. Over the years it made a nice collection. I made my own runes and my pentacle. Some things I have more of. For example I have my 'official' athame, but I also have a wooden one that Ron carved for me in Lier. Both very precious to me!

As a boline I mostly used a pretty little knife from Scandinavia. I have been looking for an 'official' one for years. For me it had to be a sickle with a white handle. The ones in pagan shops didn't appeal to me though; they are all the same. I trusted that eventually it would come to me. And it did!

This year on Castlefest I came across a blacksmith called Roodbaert (red-beard, and indeed he had one!). Ron and I talked with him and I told him how I saw the boline I wanted. He understood exactly what I wanted and its purpose. He told us he had recently got his hands on over 400 years old iron nails. He offered to try to make my knife from those, and at a very reasonable price.

A few weeks ago the knife arrived. We had asked him to make it with a simple handle, because I wanted to wrap it with white leather myself. It took some time but I'm very very satisfied with the result!
(click on the pics to see them bigger)

Lowlands Asatru Thing

In the second weekend of October Ron and I went to the first Lowlands Asatru Thing. A 'thing' in its historical meaning is a court assembly, but was later used for an assembly of the people. Asatru is explained here. Lowlands is self-explanatory I guess. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together asatruar (practitioner of asatru) and people interested in asatru for various purposes. We gathered in "De Grote Bunte" in Nunspeet, a beautiful place surrounded by nature.

We arrived in the early evening of Friday, after an aggravating drive because the car stopped running on LPG. We decided to leave that there and then and have a great weekend, which we did! :-)
Later in the evening the LAT was officially opened. Around the tables we all gave a little introduction of ourselves. I'm not astruar, my path is witchcraft / wicca, but I like to work with the Norse pantheon and was curious to learn more about it. There were several people I already knew and I got to know new people.

On Saturday there were some very interesting workshops: how to look at historic sources, spirits of the land, introduction to the 'high seat of the seer' and deity of Dutch soil. All very interesting and thought-provoking! In the entrance-hall and the workshop-room were a lot of books on display. Great to roam about!

In the evening there was a blot (asatru ritual). The weather wasn't that great, a lot of rain all weekend. The blot was outside, it was dry at first. Of course it started to rain, long live the lowlands! :-) We decided to stay outside nevertheless and had a wonderful ritual in the pouring rain. Quite different from what I am used to, great to witness and be part of!

Sunday I was up and about very early and decided to take a walk in the woods behind the buildings. It was very beautiful and I made a lot of pictures. Of one place I made 3 pics within 5 seconds and was surprised to see them. I leave it up to you what to make of it...

After breakfast we attended two workshops: making a bind-rune and burn it into a wooden slice and singing power-chants. Afterwards we did a closing ritual and all went our different ways. Until next year! :-)