Winter Comes to Visit

Snow. The first real snow since I first moved to Georgia almost 13 yrs. ago. Not just a dusting but a 4 inch accumulation!! It was like an old friend had come to call.

We all bundled up and went out to revel in it. The grandkids built a snowman, we all hunkered down to a snowball fight and Daniel got out the camera to document it all. One of my favorite shots is my sacred oak, Aran. He is covered in a sparkling, pristine white. A glittering specter tree. The muffling of sound by the blanket of snow gives everything an ethereal quality. The space below, where sits an altar and a bench and four standing stones, becomes a new scene of quiet awe.

This snowfall brought so much joy. It was brief (melting away completely in 2 days) but it was pure joy. We adults all felt like kids again. What a wonderful gift, indeed.

Getting Stuck

Why is it that we tend to freeze people in time, particularly those we haven't seen in a long time? Only very few people are not changed by time and experience. Change is constant. Nothing remains the same. Even mountains and rocks are changed, weathered. So why is it we expect that someone we knew 10, 15, 20 years ago is the same? And, if they haven't changed, what did they hold so tightly in their hands as absolute?

Moving to a new place can be the most liberating experience. It gives you the opportunity to reinvent yourself, free of others preconceptions. It's like being reborn. The difficulty lies in the past. People who knew you "back when" still have you stuck in their past with no quarter given. For some there is no redemption, no forgiveness.

I choose growth, change, forgiveness and love.

The Full Moon under the Aran Tree

Last night was the first time I've done anything for the full moon in several months. I'm not sure where my disconnect was. I simply was lost. I'm not even really sure what made me go out last night. Partly, I felt spiritually bankrupt. I got out my basket, carefully adding a lighter, a small candle, some incense, a bottle of mead, some water from the Amicolola River, my newly carved hawthorn wand, donned my heavy wool cloak and headed out to Aran. [Aran is the name of the Spirit who resides in the oak tree in my front yard. There is a small stone altar, a bench and 4 standing stones in the four directions.] I set my things out on the altar, not so much in the way I was taught but the way that felt right. I welcomed the directions and all the spirits that dwell in those places. I walked 'round the circle three times to honor the Moon as Maiden, Mother and Crone. As I walked I thought about all the stages of life that women really go through and realized, had I walked 'round once for each, I have been walking a lot more. I wrapped my arms around Aran and gave thanks to the Moon for all the blessings in my life. Then, I simply sat there, gazing at Her. I'd forgotten how bright She is, how soothing Her light (a reflection of the Sun who shines on Her), how truly lovely She is. I remembered a song I had sang with friends many years ago as we danced in Her light and I started to sing: "Under the full moon light we dance Spirits dance, we dance. Joining hands we dance. Joining souls, rejoice!" I sang it over and over and as I sang my heart started to swell. I could feel the joy, the love the peace I had missed for so long. She let me know that no matter how far you go, it's not so far from Home.

Blog Virgin - or Welcome to Heart's Haven

This is my very first blog. So please be gentle.

Welcome to Heart's Haven. That's what my husband and I call our home. You can't tell from the photo but the shutters and front door are a soft purple. One of my two favorite colors, the other being green. For the past 12 years this place has been the happiest place I've ever been in my entire life. It's also the place I've lived the longest. Till I married my husband 12 years ago and moved into this home I had previously moved 29 times. The longest I had lived in one house was 7 years. I mark a purposeful distinction between the words house and home.
This home has been much like me, evolving slowly over the years. As my life grew more peaceful, I grew more peaceful. The rooms have changed, rearranged, been painted, re-painted, and renamed (son's room,spare room, guest room, ritual room, Club House, LIVING room); much like me. I look at pictures of myself over the last 12 years and see so many different faces. Only now am I starting to see me.

My husband has taken to a real love of photography. He wanted to take some pictures of me based on a painting he saw. I was nervous. I hate pictures. Ok, let me correct that. I hate pictures that aren't flattering (ah vanity). Because I love and trust him, I went along with this venture. What happened surprised me. I actually liked the pictures. Another metaphor for my life. I'm starting to actually like me.

Thought for the day: Don't forget to look at the moon.