Prepare Ye The Way of the Lords (and Ladies)

Blessings Darlings!

I'd like to expand on a theme I've touched on before, over in http://fernsfronds.blogspot.com/2009/06/intimacy-with-gods.html . 

I'm in a lot of Facebook Pagan groups.  It could well be argued that I'm in too many Facebook Pagan groups.  At any rate, I see recurring themes in all the groups, one taking place around spell-begging (asking strangers online for spells for X, Y, or Z, or even for ANY spells) the other around 'how do I know what God/dess is my patron?"

The first is, well, spell begging in general. I get that they are beginners (at least usually they admit to being beginners, once you ask them.  The others, who have claimed to be experienced in other threads but somehow need help from strangers online now ... ahem.)  But, really folks, it's like never having played the piano before, then one day renting piano and walking into a music store saying "I want the sheet music for the best music out there!"  You're going to be handed, say, the Rach 3 (Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3) ... and you're going to fail at it.  Because you don't have any of the basic skills, from finger work on, needed to play it. 

The second issue is, in fact, almost identical.  It's a beginner, without much knowledge in ... anything ... who wants to be aligned with any God or Goddess, or thinks that they are being called by some God or Goddess. So they ask strangers online who their Patron is/should be.

I understand the yearning.  In both cases.  But you gotta do the basic work.  You have to learn basic energy work to be able to do spells (in my never humble opinion, and, hey, this is  MY blog).  You have to work on yourself, to make yourself not just able to HEAR the Gods, but to be worthy of them paying any mind to you. 

I'll get into those basics in another post.  Probably one for tomorrow.  Maybe not - I work tonight, and I may not have time.  Damn, I'm such a tease, or at least too damn busy for my own good.

So, a little musical inspiration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuUl522_8jQ

Frondly, Fern

The Healing Cauldron

Blessings, Darlings!

EARLY LAST WEEK:

Early last week, during the waning moon, I cleaned out my healing cauldron, readying it for another year of use. 

YESTERDAY:

Midday yesterday, e-mail went out from the Wiccan Trad I'm in that a member's family needed prayers/energy/magic.  So I finally found a location for the cauldron and a candle (yes, refer back to the chaos caused by moving), and did a quick working.

I went back to the computer. The news started rolling in about the mass shooting in Arizona.  Back to the cauldron, more working.

None of my other altars are up in the house, and clearly I was running late in setting up the Healing Cauldron ... and I still need to find the candle supply.  Having a dedicated Healing Cauldron, however, is always a good idea.

THE HEALING CAULDRON

For most of the folks I know, 'the healing cauldron' is a useful phrase, an abbreviation for a working.  For me, it refers to a literal cauldron, on an always-erected specific altar, one which usually (like, except during moves) gets daily attention.

The altar I use is simple.  It features a 4-inch cast iron cauldron, a candle, a candlestick if I'm not using a glass-enclosed candle, and some Bridget's Brats, blessed in years of working with Mugwort Grove, ADF. Given the affinity of us AMOKs for hot tubs, I had really wanted to use a doll house hot tub, but resisted that temptation - mostly because I already had a couple of small cauldrons.

Having this ALWAYS set up, any time a request for healing comes my way, I don't have to be distracted by setting things up.  And every morning I light a candle and send energy and prayers for those already in it.

BTW, I usually use Hanukkah candles for this. They burn about 20 minutes, so I rarely have to handle issues of untended candles left burning!

At times, usually the full moon, I make offerings as well, to keep the energy flowing well.  Grain, honey, butter, wine, oil usually.  Sometimes canned goods that will later go to the food pantry for the good of all.

In a way, it's part of my 'prepper' lifestyle.  Illness, injury, death, etc WILL happen to those around you. Being able to spiritually and magically handle those things is part of the drill.

Frondly, Fern