Time passes much to quickly...

It's been far too long. It's been a busy few couple of months for me. I've been working on some business ideas and getting some seed money going.

I'm sorry that I haven't had a post, however I promise to have a tarot posting or two up this weekend.

I can't believe I missed posting for Samhain. I should be ashamed of myself.

Time to get busy

There are very few things I believe I need in life to be happy.

• Seeing my children grow up happy and healthy. Check.
• Someone to share life with, someone who offers me endless love, support, and loyalty. Check.
• A roof over my head and food on my table. Check.
• A career that offers job security, good benefits, and excellent pay. Not so much.

I will say that I believe I have good job security where I work. However it is a far cry from a career. It’s just a job, and it gets me by. I live pay check to pay check and sometimes I’m lucky if I even make it that far. I am offered meager health benefits, no retirement or 401K, no stock options, etc. I bust my ass every day and receive no respect or appreciation in return. The more work I do the more they expect, and have often been yelled at and berated in front of the whole office.

Why do I stick around? I have often asked myself this, but in a time of economic hardship where unemployment is at an all time high, I’m not willing to take the risk to leave my current secure job for one that could evaporate with no warning.

I’ve realized that all I am doing is working to help someone else build their business. I will see no returns from my efforts aside from my weekly paycheck; I won’t be able to retire from this job knowing that I have built something, left my legacy. I will never have anything to leave to my kids if I stay where I am.

I have known for quite some time that I want to own my own business. And the further along I get into the process of writing my business plan, considering funding, searching for grants, and the overall planning the more anxious I feel. I know it won’t be easy, and it will be much more work than what I do now, but it’s what I feel I’m meant to do. It’s a drive so strong that since I have started it more than 2 years ago, I haven’t given up on it, gotten bored with the idea, or just decided it was going to be too difficult. Granted it shouldn’t have taken me 2 years to get as far as I have, but there was a period of time where it was set on the back burner, like many other things.

I always want to go at things full force. I want to go big in the beginning. I’m learning that I can’t do that now; I’m going to have to start small, and build my way up. It’s a bit frustrating because I have so many ideas that I want to see come to fruition right away, so many things that will be beneficial to the business and help draw customers in. Alas, starting small is the first step.

It's time to make a future for myself and my loved ones, time to make my mark, time to get my ass in gear.

The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer. - Nolan Bushnel

An Introduction to the Tarot Deck

I have been fascinated by the tarot as long as I can remember. As a child my mother had a Rider-Waite deck and even as young as 8 or 9 years old, I remember spending hour after hour shuffling through those cards, looking at the colorful images, wondering what they meant and making up my own stories about the pictures portrayed in each card. I wish now that I had taken the time to learn the cards when I was much younger, but I saw them as whimsical fantasy and my mother never really took them seriously.

I love the diversity of tarot in how each deck is different. Symbolism in each card being similar yet portrayed in different ways. I currently own 3 decks and am always looking to pick up new ones. I have been using Sharman-Caselli Tarot deck to learn. The images are an update to the Rider-Waite (RW) deck so it's easy to use any basic tarot guide to learn since most guides are based on the RW deck. I also own the The Arthurian Legend Tarot which I picked up at a used book store. Beautiful but difficult for a beginner. Recently I acquired a set of Deviant Moon Tarot, interesting images that are a complete 180 from the RW.

For the purpose of keeping things simple, I'm only going to post images from the Sharman-Caselli deck. I think trying to learn more than one deck at a time will be overly complicated and confusing.

One of the things I like to do before sitting down with my deck is to do a brief meditation. Just something to clear the mind, cleanse ones energy, and find a connection to the cards. An extensive meditation session isn't necessary, just a quick five minutes or so does the trick.

Before starting with individual cards I think it's important to talk about the deck as a whole. Each deck generally contains 78 cards divided into two suits. Major arcana (trump cards) and Minor arcana (suit cards).

Major arcana is a set of 22 cards, and most commonly contain the following:

• I - The Fool
• II - The Magician
• III - The High Priestess
• IV - The Empress
• V - The Emperor
• VI - The Hierophant
• VII - The Lovers
• VIII - The Chariot
• IX - Justice
• X - The Hermit
• XI - Wheel of Fortune
• XII - Strength / Fortitude
• XIII - The Hanged Man
• VIX - Death
• XV - The Devil
• XVI - The Tower
• XVII - The Star
• XVIII - The Moon
• XIX - The Sun
• XX - Judgement
• XXI - The World

The Minor arcana is broken into 4 suits of 14 cards

• Pentacles (sometimes seen as Coins, Shields, or Diamonds) - Cards Ace through King
• Wands (sometimes seen as Staves, Rods, Spears, or Clubs) - Cards Ace through King
• Cups (sometimes seen as Hearts) - Cards Ace through King
• Swords (sometimes seen as Spades) - Cards Ace through King

So what do these cards mean? As with most things in the occult there is always symbology involved, a deeper meaning to what is seen on the surface.

Fire - Wands - Intuition

The suit of wands represent the element of fire. Fire is the energy that is called intuition. It is the spark of creativity, the feeling of inspiration, the ability to make sense out of passing thought. Fire is an active, masculine and life-giving power. It requires the other elements of earth, water, and air to keep it balanced and to give it form. Let's look at the suit of Wands. I've chosen the Ace of Wands to reference.



Here we see prominence in the colors. Reds, golds, yellows and orange all symbolize the element of fire. Other symbols to look for in the fire suits: Salamanders and flames.

Water - Cups - Feeling

The suit of wands represents the element of water. Water is the feelings and emotions that are constantly shifting. In cups the water refers mainly to personal relationships and the personal life, it deals with experiences and realities that are emotional and sometimes illogical and volatile. Just as unconstrained fire can burn out of control, so can unconstrained water rise up and drown that which is valuable within.

In the suit of cups you will see watery blues and pale pinks that represent the calmness and serenity of water. Other elements to look for in the water suit: Streams, rivers, fountains, fish, mermaids.


You may also notice the hands in each picture. Where the hand holding the wand is a strong, masculine hand, you will notice the hand holding the cup is more delicate and feminine. This also denotes the difference in masculine/femininity in the suits.

Air - Swords - Intellect

The suit of swords is connected with strife and difficulty. The element of air seek out truth and logic. The cutting edge represents the thought process and cuts through illusion and deception, even when it can have a painful outcome. We use thought to clarify our minds and sort through emotions. When confused we need the sharp edge of the sword to cut through to the truth.



You will see ice blues, greys, and pale mauves in this suit. Not to be confused with the colors of the cups suit. You will also see birds, butterflies and cloud formations.

Earth - Pentacles - Sensation

The earth is the base from which we grow. It's a symbol of our bodies, being, and physical needs. A pentacle symbol, the five pointed star is symbolic of the earthy magic that is found everyday in our bodies, in nature and our world.

Symbols you will see in the pentacles suit: small animals as well as flowers and fruit. Colors of greens and browns are prominent.

I believe this is a good bit of information to start with. Study each of the suits and become familiar with the images and what they associate with. Look for the fire symbology in the wands, see the masculine fire, the reds, yellows and oranges. Remember this symbolizes the creative spark and intuition. Study how cups shows the flow of emotion and the colors of pales blues and pinks and feminine influence are prominent in these cards, etc.

Next post we will look at symbolism in the cards. Rivers, buildings, clouds, etc.


Some information in this post provided from The New Complete Book of Tarot by Juliet Sharman-Burke

Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower.

Merry and Bright Mabon!

The autumnal equinox has come and gone. Mabon fell on September 23rd this year, and I'm a day late in getting my post up. I have to say however, that I am so happy to see autumn here. It is absolutely my favorite time of the year. I love the feel of the brisk mornings and the amazing colors. Although autumn is the time when the leaves begin to die, the earth comes alive with color, the trees look as if they are on fire.

"How beautifully the leaves grow old. How full of light and color in their last days." -John Burroughs

I am fortunate to live in the Tennessee Valley where we are surrounded by mountains. Fall is always so beautiful here, I hate to see it come to an end as the last leaves flutter to the ground.

Mabon

The Autumnal Equinox signals the descent of the Goddess into her long winter sleep. We see the decline of nature and the coming winter. We reap the benefits of our sowing and planting. At the moment of the Equinox the sun's strength diminishes until the Winter Solstice and the day and night are of equal length. From this point on the days become shorter, and the nights longer.

Mabon is a witch's thanksgiving, our time to appreciate and give thanks to the Goddess for her bounty and to share in the joys of the harvest and pay our respects to the impending dark. Even if you don't grow your own food and buy only from the grocery store, those things come from the earth as well. Now is also the time to give thanks for a our personal growth and harvests through out this year. We celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth

Mabon Symbology: Wine, acorns, seeds, grains, apples, ivy vines, horn of plenty, pine cones
Mabon Foods: Breads, nuts, vegetables from the soil such as potatoes, carrots, and onions
Mabon Herbal: Thistle, rose, sage, passion flower, marigold, myrrh, honeysuckle, ferns, acorn, saffron, almond leaves, chamomile, yarrow.
Mabon Colors: Red, russet, orange, brown, gold, orange
Mabon Incense: Pine, sage, myrrh, marigold, fern.
Mabon Celebration: Harvest the fruits of your labor. Gather your herbs and vegetables from your gardens and don't forget to scatter an offering of thanks back to the soil. Offer libation to trees, offerings of ciders, wines, herbs, and fertilizers are appropriate.

Happy Equinox and Harvest Home!
Bright Blessings to all!

A step back on the path... (again)

I fear I accidentally deleted my last post. But just so everyone knows, as few as you may be, I have a new post coming in the next few days. I was away from my blog for quite awhile but will be updating regularly.

How I chose my magickal name

In my previous post I noted that your name really should be something you connect with. It took over a year to find mine. I tried numerology, I tried the name generators, I tried finding something that sounded good. But the truth is, until I did alot of soul searching, nothing ever fit. It felt forced and it didn't ring true.

I was mediating on it one night, and again was left to search more after my session. When I woke the next morning it was there, on the tip of my tongue. I knew it was meant for me. It was only part of my new name, the foundation, and the rest I have built upon to make it more tailored to me, my own and who I am.

In the last part of 2006 my life changed a great deal. I lost alot of friends, I was going through a divorce, I had to move out of my home. All that I had in my life, was completely turned upside down. I didn't know what to do, I felt lost and adrift. One day in 2007, I woke up and decided that all the anger I had was doing me more harm than good and it was time to focus it, and use it to drive me on. On that day I decided that the life I was mourning was no longer my life and it was time to create something new and better. I set a torch to what once was, and I was reborn a newer, better version of myself. Because of this rebirth I have always identified with the mythical Phoenix and its rise from the ashes. (I'm also an astrological fire sign.) I woke the morning after my meditation with the name Ashe. This is an aspect of how I came to be.

Over the course of the last 2 years, I've become very familiar with who I am, my energies, and my abilities. I know that my energies allow me to heal, on a small scale (I'm working to grow this talent). Not only am I able to heal myself, but to heal others who are willing to accept my energy and help. In Greek, -alen is a suffix meaning healer. This is an aspect of what I can do.

I've been told by more than one person that the color of my aura, my spirit, and energy is green with large amounts of blue. The green in my aura is known as a color of healers. The blue speaks of my balance, calm, and strong sense of spirituality. Blue has always been my favorite color. This is an aspect of who I am.

Lastly, I can remember as a child, one of my favorite places to be was under a willow tree in our yard. I remember laying in the grass watching the way the light played through the long sweeping branches and danced across the grass. I remember peeking in through the leaves and giggling expecting to catch a fairy or two. It was the most magickal place in the world in my eyes as a child, and even now as an adult I still see the wind blowing through the boughs and want nothing more to lay in its shade, close my eyes, and drift into bliss. It is also a tree of dreaming, intuition, deep emotions, and femininity. This is an aspect of where I came from.

All of these thing brought me to who I am today, Ashealen BlueWillow. But you can call me Ashe. =)

Good luck in finding your magickal identity. All the time you spend will be worth it in the end. When you find it, you will know. It will sound as natural to your ear as saying your given name, maybe even more so.

Blessed Be!

Choosing Your Magickal Name

One of the most exotic attractions of Paganism must be the ability to dub yourself something mystical or fantastic. "Lady AmberRose." "Lord Merlin RavensKin." "Poppy WaterHawk." "Thorsson BrightHammer."

It is indeed empowering to rename yourself. Choosing a name, however, entails more than stringing together impressive syllables. How do you go about finding a Craft name? Perhaps more importantly, why should you choose one - or why should you not?

A name is a powerful thing. In some cultures a mother will whisper her child's true name in his or her ear at birth, then never tell another person that name. In effect, it is a way to protect the child, for in many cultures knowing the true name of someone or something is to have power over it. By not revealing the secret name, the mother keeps the child safe.

In magical traditions, this caution also exists. If you are working within a tradition, they will probably ask you at some point to choose a name to be used within circles, a secret name used only by your group. This stems from a need to use pseudonyms, so that if you do let someone's name slip to a non-initiate, so one will be able to identify them.

Names are also used to evoke certain traits or correspondences. In this case, a name is chosen to attract certain energies into your life and spiritual path. Names can reflect the deeper parts of our souls, the precious inner selves that we open up to the Divine.

Now that you have some idea what names are used for, let's take a look at how to find one.

The most important rule to remember is that you must feel confident speaking the name aloud. A name might look quite impressive on paper, but when the time comes to use it aloud while invoking a quarter, for example, you might feel a little foolish... especially if you are practicing with others. Make sure the name is easily spoken, and sounds true to the ear.

Choosing a Name by Meaning

Where do you find this name? Perhaps there is a name that has had a special draw for you all your life. Perhaps you have always wished you'd been named Amber, or Rose, or Jordan. If so, why not take it on in a ritual fashion? Borrow a baby name book from the library, one that goes into the cultural origins and meanings of the names, and flip through it. A name often means something in a different language: Margaret means "Pearl"; David means "Beloved", for example.

Perhaps you feel inspired to take your name from Nature. Look at flower names and their meanings. Do some research on herbs, plants and trees, and look up their medicinal or magical correspondences. "Oak" stands for strength in many cultures. "Ash" is the wood of the World Tree which forms the axis mundi in Celtic and Norse culture. What about weather? "Sunshine" is a happy, warm name; "Snow" suggests a cooler, quieter light.

The animal kingdom offers a wide range of possibilities as well. Check out books which list various cultural associations with animals. Do you have a favourite animal? Do you constantly encounter representations of a certain beast or bird?

Or, you can do it backwards. Is there certain kind of trait you wish to evoke or emphasis in your personality? Do you wish to be wiser, more aware, more playful? Look up what plants or animals are associated with these traits. Make a list. Feel free to cross them all off if none appeal to you.

Many Pagans honour a deity by taking on a variation of the name of a god or goddess. Some people think this practice arrogant, but others consider it a way to identify as closely as possible with a chosen deity. Make sure you research the deity as completely as possible before you formally take on the name; better to find out sooner rather than later that the god/dess is associated with protection on one level, but destruction of established patterns on the other!

If you feel perfectly comfortable with your given name, why change it? Use it as long as you are comfortable doing so. However, another reason for taking on a Craft name is to differentiate your magical persona from your mundane persona. Like a different set of clothes used for ritual, or the dimming of electric lights and the use of candles, using a different name in ritual situations further reinforces that it is a time and place and action set apart from the everyday. Some people choose to use their Craft names in everyday life, some going so far as to legally change their names. If your province or state allows this, do not rush into it. As we grow and evolve in our search for truth, we outgrow old names and acquire new ones. If after several years you know deep inside that this new name is your true name, and you feel comfortable using it in daily life, then consider doing so. However, be warned that family and friends who have known you for your whole life as Mary might not take well to being told that you are now Ivy or Thorne. Use your discretion.

If you truly feel the need to rename yourself, and nothing is suggesting itself to you, don't despair and grab the nearest name. Take your time. Seek your name in meditation. Perhaps it will come in your dreams. Perhaps someone will "accidentally" call you by a different name on the street or in a restaurant. Perhaps you will trip across it in a book. Be open to the possibilities. It might take months, a year, or more. Be patient.

Some people change their Craft names like socks. Be aware that the commitment to a name is a serious one. A name carries with it a certain resonance and energy, and by constantly changing it you keep that energy unbalanced. A name is a key to identity; if you constantly change it, you will feel lost and adrift in ritual and in your spiritual search.

Be wary of the trap that many fall into: creating a long, impressive name as soon as you begin your study of life. Doing so is often revealed to be self-defeating as the individual grows and evolves in a direction very different from the ambitious name originally selected. Instead, choose a simple name that can be modified or added to as you achieve different goals and pass various tests in life. Also, know that the titles "Lady" and "Lord" are used to honor those who have achieved a certain degrees within initiatory traditions, and by using them you make exaggerated claims that might reflect poorly.

Also, beware of choosing a name that is too popular. There are heaps of Morgans, Merlins, Taliesins, Ambers, and Ravens out there. Yes, one of those might contain exactly the idea that you're striving for, but why consign yourself to an overused name when you can use it as a basis for creating a completely unique variation? Sit down with a pen and paper and doodle, using the name as a starting point. Play with the spelling, the phonics, the pronunciation. Make it yours. Meld two names together - for example, Amber and Raven might become Ambven.

How do you take on your name? Most people will perform an official ritual to announce to the gods that they will henceforth be known by this name. It's only polite to introduce yourself, after all! Writing your own ritual is a very special way to use your new name for the very first time. Why not buy yourself a gift to celebrate? Consecrate it in the ritual, and then decide whether to wear it in ritual exclusively or all the time, to remind you of your commitment and the path that you tread.

(c) A. Murphy-Hiscock 2002. Originally published by PaganUniverse May 2002

A few methods of choosing a magick name:

One way is to look up a Deity's or many Deities' name(s) and incorporate them into a name that you feel especially strong with. I strongly encourage you to do you homework on this style of selection! Words have power and many a name has more than one meaning or story behind it. Do not be surprised if you begin to take on the aspects and/or personality of the one (or more) name(s) that you have chosen. Also, get the deity's permission FIRST, before you use their name! This is a great method but like most things (especially in Magick, you MUST be responsible for what you do).

Another method is to use a ceremony or ritual (or even a dream) in which you choose animal or cultural names from history or memory. This one is great for past life/incarnation buffs. This method is also good for those with a strong association with a particular animal (or animals).

One fun way is to sit alone, or even with some friends, and think of names or attributes of yourself that you and your friends feel are very strong and predominate in your personality. Choose something that you can be proud of and something that will not embarrass you the next time your friend(s) call it out at a meeting or gathering. Really think about this one. Remember, what you pick becomes a part of you and what you will become!

A good method for "finding" your name is to "Divine" the name. That is, to use a tool of divination (Tarot, Runes, Ouji Board, Lots, *Numerology and your power numbers, I-Ching) or anything else you feel good with. Sometimes the name can come from the actual item, or a reading of that particular item.(*See Below)

Finally, you might want to try meditation, either guided or self-guided. This is a very personal way to find your name. Go and ask the Deities themselves! Envision yourself at a sacred space and ask for assistance from a guide and/or teacher. You will get it! Most methods of meditation will work, even methods of very deep relaxation. Have fun with this. Be respectful both to yourself, and the one(s) giving you help with this!

Whatever method you choose, remember there is no "right" or "wrong" name. Just go with what feels good to you.

Choosing a name using Numerology:

Some people believe that your magick name should match your Birth Number. The reason for this is because your Birth Number is unchanging. People can change their names, addresses, etc., but they cannot change their date of birth. By choosing a name that matches your Birth Number, you are then aligning yourself with that same vibration; the vibration of the moment you chose to be born.

To do this:

First find your Birth Number by adding the digits of your date of birth. (Example:)If you were born June 23rd 1956, your number would be
6.23.1956 = 6+2+3+1+9+5+6 = 32
Bring that down to a single digit: 3+2 = 5
Then 5 is your Birth Number.

This is the chart you will be using:

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R
S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

Suppose you like the name DIANA. Using the chart above,
D = 4
I = 9
A = 1
N = 5
A = 1

Therefore, DIANA = 4+9+1+5=1 = 20 = 2

But your birth number was 5. For your Magick Name you should aim for a name that matches your Birth Number. In the above example, you could do this by adding a "3" letter to DIANA; a C, L or U. So you could have, perhaps, DICANA, DILANA, or DIANAU, all of which would then add up to 5. If you don't care for any of those, think again of another possible name and check it out.

It may take a while to find a name, or choice of names, that you like and that are numerologically correct. Perhaps the best method is to get an assortment of appropriate letter and keep rearranging them until you hit an attractive combination (from the above "Diana" example, NAUDIA might be a possibility.)

Using a Name Generator

You can also use name generators, although I do not suggest this. Your name should be something you connect with, and feel as much a part of you as your given name, if not more so. Otherwise you may end up with something such as Falula Faerytree or Manannan Midsummer Midnight.

After you have crunched your numbers, and racked your brain, and still come up empty, and want to give a name generator a try, here is one.