Getting Back To Basics

Merry Meet All,
Do you remember the first time your God and Goddess called out to you, or when you chose the path you are on? I have always been interested in the wiccan way since I was about 12, never really practiced it until a couple of years ago.  I was raised in a household that are Southern Baptist and everything else was satanic, it wasn't the extreme where I couldn't go trick or treating or anything like that, but any other religion was not good.  I never felt happy going to church, never felt like I was at home and that something was missing. Six years ago I moved here to San Diego to be with my fiancee, who is now my husband, and I was talking to him one day telling him that I wasn't sure where I fit in, I was raised Southern Baptist, and told him how it made me feel, I looked into being a Catholic, he suggested, from hearing me discuss how I felt, that I look into Wicca, or Paganism, I blinked and told him I have been interested in it since I was 12 and I think I will, I didn't know where to start, I was so lost, I started looking up things on the net, found books. Reading up on the different Gods and Goddesses, slowly started gathering things for my altar. I admit I am still learning and haven't really done much with the holidays, I need to start planning ahead and slowly gathering things that I need to decorate my altar and planning ahead the foods and rituals for the up coming holidays.  It wasn't until about a year ago that my God and Goddesses found me, Danu and The Morrigan, and The Horned God. I hear a calling in my soul to get back to the basics and started reading the "starter" books and digging out my year and a day book and starting it again. I am feeling the yearning to learn and the yearning to be witchy, I feel like I am a wiccan and witch. 

The Rede of the Wiccae

(The Counsel Of The Wise Ones)

Bide the Wiccan Law ye must,In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust;


Live ye must and let to live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
True in love, ever be,
Lest thy love be false to thee.


With a fool no season spend,
Nor be counted as his friend.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak ye little, listen much.


Ever mind the rule of three,
What ye send out comes back to thee.
This lesson well, thou must learn
Ye only get what ye do earn.


Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill -
An it harm none, do as ye will.


Deosil go by waxing Moon,
Sing and dance the invoking Rune;
Widdershins go by waning Moon,
Chant ye then a freeing tune;


When the Lady's Moon is new,
Kiss thy hand to Her times two;
When the Bow rides in the eve
Turn to what you would achieve;
When the Moon rides at her peak,
Then thy heart's desire seek;
When the Sickle shows Her face
Release the old with proper grace.


Greet the Days and greet the Nights
With joy and thanks for all delights.
Sing the seasons all around
Til wondrous awe and love abound


Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
Lock the door & trim the sail;
When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth;


When the wind blows from the West,
Hearts will find their peace and rest;
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.


Nine woods in the Cauldron go,
Burn them quick and burn them slow;
Grape and fir and apple tree,
And Hawthorn are sacred to Thee,
Willow, hazel, rowan, birch,
And oak will guide your every search;
Elder be the Lady's tree -
Burn it not or cursed ye'll be.


Birchwood in the fire goes
To tell us true what Goddess knows.
Oak trees tower great with might,
Burn the Oak for God's insight.
Rowan is a tree of power
Causing life and magick to flower.
Willows at the waters stand
To help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn burn to purify
And draw the faerie to your eye.
Hazel tree, the wisdom sage,
Lends strength that comes with honoured age.
White the flowers of Apple tree,
The holy gift of fecundity.
Grape grows upon the fruitful vine,
Sacred gifts of joy and wine.
Fir's ever greenness declares life
Succeeds beyond any strife.



Heed ye flower, bush, and tree,
And by the Lady Blessed be.
Where the rippling waters flow
Cast a stone and truth ye'll know;


Four times the Major Sabbats mark
In the light and in the dark:


As the old year starts to wane
The new begins with dark Samhain.
When flowers blossom through the snow
Fair Brighid casts her seed to sow.
When winter yields to warmth's return
Let the Beltane fires burn.
As summer turns to Lammas night
First fruits and Grain Gods reach their height.


Four times the Minor Sabbats fall
Use the Sun to mark them all:


At Yuletide, with feast and mirth
We celebrate the God Child's birth.
Spring Equinox, Eostara's fest,
All newborn creatures will be blessed.
When the Sun has reached its height
Celebrate the greatest Light.
Offer thanks at second reaping;
Mabon poised for winter's sleeping.


Cast the circle thrice about,
To keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time,
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.


Follow this with mind & art,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart,
And merry meet & merry part
And merry meet again!

 

Blood Pressure, DDP Yoga, and Me.

Hello and Merry Meet, 
 I want to talk about something serious, blood pressure, I have never thought about mine, it has been in the 150/92-86 range for as long as I can remember, never thought about it since I was feeling fine.  I went my psych appointment, my blood pressure was taken it was down 147/92, I was like sweet it's down, he informed me that if it keeps up and doesn't come down, I should go see a doctor and talk about getting on meds, Meds! nope no way no how, so now I am doing research, bought some hibiscus tea, reading up on dash plans and how to lower sodium, I have lost weight, went from 385 to 350, I started back up doing DDP Yoga again as of today, I broke down crying and said I am done with this, now it's time to get serious and start eating healthy, I know healthy foods don't taste as good as the junk food, fast food etc, I have cut sodium a lot but not enough, I still reach for the soda, coke zero sugar, which as it has caffeine. I still reach for the Doritos, and ice cream and reese's cups, but now it's time to stop, hubby brought home Harvest snap crisps, they are sugar snap peas fried or baked, very low fat and sodium and sugar, I was skeptical at first and then tried them and I love them. I think instead of counting calories I am going to worry about sodium and fat intake.

I today so far have had two hard boiled eggs, no salt no butter,(used to add salt and butter to them), one cup of greek yogurt, with fresh strawberries that my mother in law prepared for me and sent home with my darling hubby, she put some sugar in them but ah well, so I added that to the yogurt and ate that and I am stuffed, my goal is to eat more fruit and veggies, I hardly eat any, wasn't really raised by parents who were big veggie eaters either, it was either potatoes, green beans, corn, with red meat, mac and cheese and fries, and bread, a lot of processed foods, with salt, and butter and drinking three to four cans of soda a day, now I have one 20 ounce bottle a day, yesterday I didn't have one and my goal today is to not have one as well, my goal is to also drink two and a half liters of water a day. I need to do this, for my blood pressure, and for me. 

Breakfast:
Two Hard Boiled Eggs, no salt no butter = 124 mg of sodium and 3.2 grams of sat fat. 
Kirkland Organic Green Yogurt 50mg sodium. 
Water.

Exercise: 16 mins of DDP Yoga Chair Warrior, (starting over).