Tarot Stories and Esbat Poem

Tonight is the Full Strong Moon esbat. Right on the cusp of Midsummer/Litha, and a great time for new beginnings. And tonight I have decided I want to try my hand at writing tarot stories for the minor arcana. I wrote a series earlier this year inspired by the major arcana, but the deck I had did not include detailed images for the minor arcana, only a representation of the number and the suit. My new deck includes the most beautiful pictures on every single card, and they're very inspiring. Wonderful for story sparks.

But for now, I'd like to share a poem I wrote for the last full moon and kept hidden for a while. I'm dedicating it to Ai and Brid, for all their creative help, and Artemis, because she's my wonderful moon goddess. I wish I had more creative title for it, though.


Esbat Poem
Tonight is a night of the Goddess,
The full moon hangs in the sky.
Tonight is a night of the Goddess,
The time for magick draws nigh.

For She lives in us all,
As a spark of divine,
And in Her we all do dwell.
Tonight is a night of the Goddess,
And I'm certain to mark it well.

Today is a day of the God,
Oh, the sun it does light the sky.
Today is a day of the God,
Oh, the time for worship draws nigh.

For He lives in us all,
As a spark of Divine,
And in Him we all do dwell.
Today is a day of the God,
Oh, I'm certain to mark it well.

Now is the time of Bright Spirit,
The stars twinkle in the sky.
Now is the time of Bright Spirit,
The time for great peace draws nigh.

For It lives in us all,
As a spark of divine,
And in It we all do dwell.
Now is the time of Bright Spirit,
Be certain to mark it well.

Old Things

My sister is watching "How It's Made" on the science channel as I write this, and they just summed up the part of the episode on springs with the idea that "springs prove that some old ideas still work" or something of that ilk. Which, I found rather appropriate for this space, seeing as this is a blog celebrating The Old Ways. Though things have changed over the centuries, the basic ideas remain the same, more or less, and these beliefs still work today, with minor tweaking to be useful and more easily practiced in the modern world.

The point, though, is that even old things have their uses, and not everything becomes outdated with time. Take Brid, for instance, originally a Celtic triple goddess, now recreated into Saint Brigid, but still basically the same. Even Christianity couldn't wipe her out.

It's fascinating to take a look at the roots of your spiritual path. I'm studying the history of Wicca through the various forms of Paganism right now, as a matter of fact. Very interesting information.

Another sort of exercise for anyone who stumbles upon this. Call it a meditation, if you like, but it's not, really. Study the past of your path, make a list of the things that drew you to your path, whatever it is. Do these things have anything to do with the history of your spiritual beliefs (assuming you follow some sort of set system)? Take some time to think about the "old things" in your life. Are they still useful to you? How so? If not, what did they mean to you when you were using them?

Odd Timing

I had something wonderfully Witchy to say today and by the time I sat down to write this post, it seems to have completely slipped my mind. So, I suppose, I'll just write and see if I can remember what it was.

The Pantheon and I have decided that my gut likes to lead me in new directions at the most inconvenient times. I seriously restarted my studies mere weeks before my college graduation; now I'm starting this blog in the middle of a family visit, my sister's high school graduation, and trying to figure out what, exactly, my new job requires of me. Yet, I know better than to ignore the guidance of the stuff inside me. So here I am. Spewing randomness into the internet and probably getting more metaphorical "you're crazy" looks than you can shake a stick at. But I'm here. And that's what matters.

Today was a day for regaining calm for me. Brid and Artemis are absolutely wonderful for this, in case you were wondering. Lots of love and comfort from them (they're also both good for protection work, by the way, especially Brid, since she has a warrior aspect). I also realized today that I'm awfully fond of informal magick: things like anointing myself with bath water and asking the spirits of Earth, Air, Fire and Water to bless and aid me, without formally casting a circle or really using any special tools, excluding the bath salts, battery-operated candle and music I was playing for simple relaxation. I suppose it could also be considered spontaneous magick. Regardless, it seems to be my method of operation, for the most part. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly capable and rather enjoy formal spellcasting, I just seem to do a lot more of the on-the-fly, make-it-up-as-you-go sort of thing. And The Pantheon assures me that that is just fine.

And now I've been staring at this screen for what feels like ages, trying to figure out what else to say today. I haven't remembered what I set out to write, and it's rather a lot later than I thought it was. So I suppose we'll bid you single reader (if we're lucky) good night and we hope to see you tomorrow.

Introducing the Pantheon

Since I'll likely be talking about them a lot, I suppose it's only fair that I devote an entire post to introducing what I'll be calling "The Pantheon," the deities and other magickal creatures that tend to hang around me and my house. In no particular order:

Loki: If there's one thing you ought to know about Loki (besides the fact that he's the Norse trickster god and not as evil as he seems in the myths), it's that he strongly dislikes cats. Coming from a culture that reveres wolves and other canines, it's rather logical, but it does make it rather interesting, since I currently have three felines. The good news is that the cats don't seem to mind him at all, so the hatred is only one-sided.

Brid: An Irish triple-goddess of the forge, hearth, and inspirational fires, she's the big sister figure to The Pantheon. She's always around with a smile and a nudge to my creative work, and has a habit of standing around looking vaguely and mysteriously pleased with herself.

Mabon: As a god of youth and the sun, Mabon enjoys carousing and drinking. Surprisingly, he's likely the most raucous of the bunch, and undoubtedly the most annoying. He's very adept at pestering me until I do something, and has mastered the art of bribery. He also makes a fabulous scapegoat. Warning: when Mabon and Loki lean their heads together and mumble, trouble's afoot.

Artemis: The mother figure of The Pantheon, Artemis is the one trying to keep the rest of us crazy folks in line. Generally, she sits in the corner and shakes her head ruefully as we make various plans. She tends to disappear around the new moon (not such a big surprise, as she's a moon goddess), and is very fond of reminding me of all the positive things in the world, which I need quite a lot.

And, last but not least,

Ai: The generally forgotten-about Irish god of poetry and bard to the Tuatha dé Danaan (seriously, I've found exactly one myth about him, and no information on correspondences or anything), Ai is also the newest addition to The Pantheon. He's a big, cheerful fellow, who enjoys listening when I sing along at the top of my lungs to whatever's on the radio, and is always carrying an instrument of some kind. I have a feeling he and Mabon will get along rather well, when Mabon stops being disgruntled that I like Ai more than him.

Now, The Pantheon is not fixed, and is rather likely to expand as I continue my studies, but these are the key players at the moment. Not including a collection of minor elementals, faeries, a dragon or two, and various other magickal creatures. Overall, my life is rather more exciting than the rest of my household would dare to believe. That's what happens when you dance with the gods, I suppose.