30 Days of Devotion

I ran into the 30 Days of Deity Devotion blog project through some of my colleagues in the Pagan Blog Project. Immediately, I felt that I wanted to be involved. But this last month has been one of many changes, and I've been super busy at work to boot. So now I'm back from a transformative experience, on both professional and personal levels. I'm done with my travels for a while, and I feel a need to get my head back in the game.

So stay tuned, 'cause I'm gonna get started very soon. Maybe I'll pick an auspicious date for my lady Artemis. But maybe I'll just jump in. We'll see.

Anyhoo. Be assured, I am alive and I am rocking out this life transition! Hope you are all well and thriving. More to come...

Harvesting Sorrow and Hope

Lughnasadh and Lammas are festivals of the first harvest, the grain harvest. Metaphorically, it's also a first harvesting of the seeds planted at Ostara, of the magical work we have done all year.

Looking back through my year, the theme has been letting go of things that no longer serve me. I decluttered, organized and donated a lot of possessions. I let go of family relationships that were not positive. I let go of consulting work and a nonprofit that wanted too much free work. I let go of a friendship that went sour. I took a hiatus from my beloved coven. I let go of a longtime romantic relationship.

I have nurtured projects and relationships that do serve me. I have done a lot of work with my ancestors, spirit guides and allies. I have grown my Meetup group to 44 members. I began to write public blogs. I have gotten clearer about my brand. I have been caring for myself diligently. I have worked toward my legal name change. I have been ordained and recommitted to my priestessry. I have taught more than ever before, and had a fantastic time doing it. I have been attending Church of the Earth events and have discovered that I really like their community. I have reconnected with friends and chosen family.

Some of my harvest is sorrow. I loved the place I lived with my partner. We were surrounded by farm fields, near my favorite patch of woods, had lovely kitties, garden, fruit trees, etc. The relationship was longstanding, and that always brings a sense of security and continuity to one's life. It has been a painful transition away from that.

But some of my harvest is full of hope. I am alone again, and free. The relationship was not a positive one, from an objective perspective. Now I can once again do anything I like. I can see my friends to my heart's content. I can spend the day in study. I can priestess to my community as I wish. I can travel. I can dream.

I still don't know what's around the corner. I'm still looking for work and for a real home. But I have faith that I have cultivated the garden of my life well this year. The harvest will be rich in its own time.

So mote it be!

I leave you with a blessing:

May the blessings of the first harvest fill you and yours with joy and abundance. May your larder be full of grains that you never hunger and may your cellar be full of mead and wine that you never thirst. May this harvest season bring forth all that you desire from the abundance of our mother Goddess.

Have a blessed Lammas and Lughnasadh!