It seems as if the Kitchen Witch in me has taken over this month. I have been truly possessed with the urge to cook and bake. I've had three gatherings thus far this month and have delighted in coming up with meals for each one as well as trying out some new recipes on the husband when he is home on the weekends. I have kept the spirit of the season in mind with all of my meals. I love the food of the fall season. This month I have made pumpkin soup twice, two different styles of cornbread, chili, apple crisp, cinnamon and sugar cookies, ginger bread, applesauce cake, full moon cauliflower, and toasted raw pumpkin seeds (they make a great garnish for the pumpkin soup and for salad)

I have spent time drying the last of the herbs from the garden and as a result have a fragrant bag of my favorite Lemon Verbena leaves, catnip and mint. I can see some charm bags in the future that are full of my fresh herbs. I bought two special seasonal teas from the Republic of Tea. One is a black Pumpkin Spice tea and the other is an Apple Cider herbal tea. I have been enjoying them in the evenings and plan to serve them at my tea along with a Pomegranate Wine and a Cranberry Mead. I sprinkle cinnamon into my coffee every morning, not only for the magical essence of it but because it tastes so good too.

For Samhain itself I plan to make a pumpkin pie!

As a pagan, cooking the foods of the season puts me in touch with the season. It goes along with decorating my house, listening to seasonal music (I especially enjoy classical during the dark half of the year) crafting seasonal items, and watching seasonal movies and reading seasonal books. I also change out the tarot decks and the cloth I use, in order to both reflect the season and to refresh my practice I like to put all of my senses in touch with the spirit of each season and the Sabbats. Our homes, as reflections of ourselves, should not stay static; they should reflect the change of season in some small way. This helps keep the positive energy flowing throughout the home.  As the days get shorter and the weather turns cold, I want my home to be a warm, welcoming cozy sanctuary for myself, my family and my friends.

 

 

welcome to my table

  

Candy Corn cowl

 

This past weekend I put the finishing touches on the house decorations both inside and out. I made the trek to get some pumpkins for the front porch. As I was putting them into place, I remembered the Halloween that I first met my friend. We invited him over for dinner and in exchange for some dinner and a few beers, he carved us some awesome pumpkins to put outside. His nickname ought to be the Pumpkin King because he truly is the king of pumpkin carving . He would carve anything you wanted. I was in heaven. I asked for Jack Skellington and it was awesome. This year I found some Martha Stewart black lacy pumpkin covers, but was a bit disappointed because they are not as I pictured they would be. I put one on one of the pumpkins and will now have to look around on Pinterest for some other ideas.
The other half was the guinea pig this past weekend for my gaming night dinner next week. I wanted to test out some new recipes on him before I serve them to my friends. I made my first ever pumpkin soup and it was yummy and easy. I also made some cornbread owls to go with it from a new baking pan I found. Now all that is left is to design the table decorations and get out my pumpkin shaped soup tureen and bowls!

A touch of snow last Friday

The front yard Purple Ash

For the past two years I have been calling my circle using spirit animals. This year my studies are focused on the Shamanic Journey and spirit guides, so calling my circle has become on even more meaningful to me as I have gained more insights into the world of spirit animals. I had settled with ease on the guides for three of the directions but had a bit more difficulty finding the right guide for West, which is the direction of water. Last year I finally settled on the Seahorse because I have always like seahorses and because they embody the duality of sexuality. It's a bit of a challenge to keep from chuckling when calling seahorse into a circle of such mighty totems such as Owl, Deer and Phoenix, yet I persevere. While studying for class the other night, I came across the meaning of seahorse and had a powerful aha moment when I read what Christopher Penczak wrote about seahorse. He wrote that seahorse stands for fidelity in relationships. No wonder I chose this funny little creature! Fidelity, the quality of being faithful and loyal. Loyal, to be strongly supportive of another. These words are how I define all of my most important relationships. When I believe in someone and see the good, I embrace fidelity. Finding this definitive meaning of seahorse caused me to look at my other circle spirit animals as they relate to who I am. I was then able to see the complete picture. The spirit of the Deer was chosen to bring into my circle and my life, the qualities of patience and gentleness. The Owl, for wisdom and trust in the inner voice. The Phoenix for the quality of passion and the belief in rebirth and regeneration. The Seahorse for fidelity. This combination of energies are me. They are what I strive to embrace in their perfect form, even when I use these energies in imperfect ways.
The average person has no idea what the study of witchcraft really entails. They imagine it's all about ceremony, spell casting and wearing funny hats. The truth is that the study of witchcraft is first and foremost about the mastery of self. With self discovery, comes the power to transform one's life into something of real substance. As humans we often run away from relationships, jobs, and places out of a sense of boredom and a need for constant stimulation, all of which is in reality, a means of escaping ourselves. If we are constantly on the run, or immersing our minds in escapist literature, entertainment and such, we don't have to examine our lives. The restless soul is one that does not know itself.  Building a solid foundation within yourself, leads to building foundations with people that are right for you. New experiences enrich our lives and broaden our perspectives. These experiences teach us by taking us out of our every day habits, thus helping us to better define our likes and dislikes. I like to travel and love to revisit places I like because I can deepen the experience by learning even more about a place. When I leave again in November on my next trip, it will be my fifth trip out of state in a year. All of these trips have been two or more weeks away. By now, I look at Portland as my second home, as I do with San Diego. My real home though, is with the love I have for certain people and creatures, so no place, no matter how awesome it is, will ever satisfy me as much as true connections do. That is something I have always known about myself. I find my sense of peace in love.
My Gemini husband has roamed the world this past year (South Africa, Europe, Canada and Mexico) along with his domestic travel, which in total means he is gone at least 48 weeks out of the year. His work through the years has taken him from one client to another, each client lasting no more than two years. He likes the travel and different circumstances each client brings, yet he never becomes bored with living where we do or in the relationship he has with me.
 Everyone must be free to walk their path no matter where it takes them either physically or spiritually. My path has been a strongly spiritual one for several years now. It has taught me much not only about myself, but also about love as well. You can love in absence, bless the path they are on, and sincerely want it to bring them what they seek in life, even if you were wrong in thinking that you would continue to be part of that person's path. When my clients lament the seemingly lost relationship with their soul mates, I can offer little to console them, because when in fact you do meet up with a member of your soul tribe,whether it be in the form of friend or lover, you are supposed to be together with them. You reunite in a lifetime to complete some previous lessons and from there enjoy the fruits of that hard labor, together. Our souls don't seek or recognize another tribe member from previous reincarnations, only to do a "hit and run" encounter. If we believe in ancient stardust, we know that we have been recycled many times and therefore have many soul mates, yet in the span of this short human life, there is only so much time to reconnect and enjoy, so we are drawn to only a select few. However, when soul and ego are vastly unbalanced, problems arise and separation is inevitable. No one can predict the possibility of a reunion because the future is not written.  My only answer therefore, is to repeat what I just wrote earlier. You can love them in absence and truly bless the path that they travel and wish for them to find what they seek. Never lose your own sense of wonder and do what makes your soul jump up and down.

Since getting back from my trip this weekend, I have been involved in a whirlwind of decorating activities. Fall has arrived and my house is ready. From putting up the Fall green Man plaque in my office to washing the Halloween cloths, and tableware, I have been luxuriating in the throes of Fall. The house is ready with only the outside front porch left to do next weekend. The back porch is ready to enjoy for our beautiful fall evenings and fall rituals. The skeleton lights are glowing in the nearby bush with candy corn lights and leaves are strung across the porch. The cauldron sits ready on it's pumpkin colored mat and the side table is full of pumpkin candles and lights. I also put pumpkin lights and fall leaves in my large terracotta pots along with some gourds and pumpkins which I feel will be squirrel proof because they are made of plastic.
The mantle is festooned with ravens, leaves and apples, pumpkin candle holders, brown tea light holders, mini pumpkins soon, and some black vine garland. My dining room is dedicated to Day of the Dead with a graveyard altar and my misting cauldron, among other things. With pictures of my spirit cats, framed in a ghost and pumpkin frame, the dining room will make a natural Samhain ritual spot if I decide to not go outside for ritual.
To celebrate the season I ordered 4 new movies to add to my already sizable Halloween movie collection. I plan on spending a few nights doing nothing but watching one Halloween movie after another, with some "Charmed sprinkled in for good measure, while knitting or needle crafting something spooky. I also have plans to re-read my many Halloween books, along with three new ones I picked up on my trip. I have a crafting Halloween party coming up along with a Halloween theme game dinner and plans for an elegant seasonal dinner with a few friends. This is the time of year that I especially love having a friend over for afternoon tea or cinnamon coffee and a home baked fall goodie. Before I left on my trip, I went crazy buying some fall and Halloween inspired placemats, napkins and holders that will go well with my black dishes and give me tons of entertaining options throughout the fall. Half the fun of a house party for me is setting the stage! The other half is sharing it with special friends.

With clouds overhead and the promise of rain today, I am most aware that the promise of Fall is just around the corner. As I savor the last of summer, I await the Fall with eager anticipation. Fall is my favorite season. It's a natural for me since I was born on Mabon. I started putting Summer to rest yesterday, doing some final harvests before I pull my plants. The herbs are still doing well as are my fairy gardens. I hope to bring both of my fairy gardens inside for the winter to put in my garden room. I harvested basil and made a nice pesto to enjoy before we head out to California. so many of the leaves were damaged but I decided to dry them to use for magical purposes. I will do the same with the mint, lemon balm and lemon verbena.
Today I have decorated the mantle with leaves, ravens, owls and candle jars. I will add some tiny pumpkins when they are available. My harvest wreath and Celtic knot doormat are out on the front porch. So often in the past I have bypassed Mabon in terms of decorating, and gone straight to Samhain, which is my favorite holiday. In the past few years as my magical practice has grown, I have made it a point to do something with every holiday. as much as I have come to appreciate and be fully in the moment of each season, the dark side of the year calls to me still. Some associate the dark side of the year with isolation, cold and perhaps a touch of loneliness. I see this time of year as a season of both going inside for inner dialogue and also a season of celebration with friends as gatherings become a festive time against the cold the the outside.  Dinner parties, game nights, movie nights, Samhain parties, Yule. The dark side of the year is a great time to snuggle down and escape into a good book, knit a warm wooly sweater or scarf, sip hot chocolate or Irish coffees, bake, cook stews, chili, pot roasts & soups.

For me fall means:

Apples & apple crisp

cinnamon as a scent and in my coffee

chili

Harry potter movies

Halloween movies and witchy TV shows (this year I have "Beautiful Creatures" in my collection, next year I will have City of Bones as well)

raking leaves

pumpkins

pumpkin pie

apple pie

decorating for Samhain both inside and out

witches ball

witches tea

ravens

spicy teas served hot with honey

re reading Halloween books I have collected over the years

knitting and cross stitching spooky things

I carry the spirit of Owl, Deer and Raven with me always, but during the dark side of the year, the spirit of Raven is prominent in my thoughts. The raven as messenger and totem is a reminder that those around you are reflecting back at you the things you most have to learn about yourself.

"Know that when Raven appears that magic is imminent. Raven is about rebirth, recovery, renewal  recycling and certainly reflection and healing. He signifies moving through transitions smoothly by casting light into the darkness."

Last night, thanks to Netflix, I starting re watching a series called "Charmed". I hadn't seen it for five years and I was curious to see how I would feel about it these many years later, as I approach obtaining my 3rd degree in witchcraft. Though I only made it through 3 episodes, I can say that the show does indeed stand the test of witch time. I like the theme of witches protecting the innocent. it is in stark contrast to the fallacies put out by people ignorant of what witchcraft is. There has been criticism about the fact that the show's stars, (all attractive young women) almost always wore  very sexy outfits and therefore the show was ditsy? I for one love the fact that witches are portrayed as sexy young things  as opposed to the usual haggard old witch. It harkens back to the days of Morticia Addams and Samantha Stevens in the late 1960's portrayal of witchy people. The difference of course is that the 60's witches were sexy housewives not single gals. It fit the period. The main point is that witches come in all shapes and ages. "Charmed" put a younger person spin on witchcraft that was well researched and refreshing to see even now. However,my all time favorite portrayal of the magical life still is Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" series. The man knows his stuff! I love Harry Dresden and share his values, his outlook on religion and such. Butcher does a good job balancing the religion thing by bringing in non pagan characters and playing them off against Dresden. As I read each book in the series, I become even more enchanted. Between Dresden and Charmed, I am in good company as I toil with creating new items for my Etsy store. Funny enough, they inspire me!

Here I am in Portland Oregon again. It's a semi cloudy day and the temperature is a cool 73 degrees. The trees are lush and full and the flowers are blooming everywhere. Yet it is not the weather that keeps drawing me back to this place. Portland is my muse, my guiding spirit. During my first visit here last November I discovered that my inner hippie had been let loose. I melded right into the free form style of this city. Portland is not a trend setter type of place which is why in part I like it so well. If this city could be defined by setting trends I suppose it would be for protecting the environment and in it's care for the homeless. There is a soul to this city that is part of a highly concentrated area of Atheists. Lesson? We don't need to be religious to have a heart and soul.
When I told people that I was heading out here for my third trip within a year, several of them asked why we didn't just move here. Simple answer. I love Denver. Like Portland, Denver is a young, liberal, affordable city. It has a vibrant downtown and beautiful mountains a scant hour away. The weather is a perfect four season climate with virtually low humidity and tons of sunny days and it is an easy place to travel out of. I feel people are missing the point when I wax romantic about my love for Portland. The point being that this is why we should travel when we can. Travel not only enriches your life by exposing you to different ways of living, it also serves as a means to appreciate where you live. It's not necessary to move from place to place in order to get the full experience of a place. People try to move away from towns in order to get a fresh start. They feel that by leaving a place, they will leave behind all of the challenges that have beset them in a particular place, without realizing that they will be taking all of those problems with them on the road to seeking nirvana. I remember from my own past history when over 30 years ago we moved up to Portland from California when the Navy ship my husband was serving on was transferred to dry dock for repairs. At that time I was suffering from a psychological condition known as agoraphobia, which is a fear of going out. I remember driving up the coast of California and Oregon and thinking how this was going to be a new start for me. I was feeling good. I was going to leave all of that mess in California and move forward. It didn't happen. Once the glow of living in a new place wore off, I was back struggling with my ailment. Once we moved back to California, six months later, I resumed my therapy and eventually moved past the agoraphobia. It wasn't the move that solved my problem, it was me who solved it. We can run from relationships, friendships, cities and even our country, but, the baggage you are running from will still follow you. Good friends, that romantic relationship, the perfect place to live, can be found wherever you live and if it's not materializing then you need to go within to find out why it's not.
 When we were younger we lived in some of the most expensive areas of the country. Though both San Diego and New York had some wonderful aspects, they also fell short in affordability. It was tiring to live in places where everything cost a fortune. The advantage that San Diego has was that the weather is perfect and the beach is free!
Through travel, whether is be within our home state, our country or overseas, we can get a better sense of what syncs up with our true selves. We can come home with new ideas, new favorite things , and list of what we want to do when we return to the road.