My Growing Obsession With Tarot

It is the artwork that draws me in. Though I do like the whimsical decks it is the darker ones that call to me the most. The more macabre the better.

My growing obsession begins with just one look at a new deck and the next thing you know you find several more. I would like to share five Gothic style decks ( well, one of them is not so much Gothic but it still fits into the macabre) that are to be released soon. I'm not sure yet which one I like best. I'm leaning toward the Royo deck. For more information and to pre-order any of these decks you can visit Amazon.com.

Royo Dark Tarot Deck
by Lo Scarabeo
May 8, 2012



Alchemy 1977 England Tarot Deck
by Lo Scarabeo
May 8, 2012





Anne Stokes Gothic Tarot Deck
by Lo Scarabeo
May 8, 2012



The Steampunk Tarot
by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell
May 8, 2012



The Zombie Tarot: An Oracle of the Undead
by Stacey Graham
June 5, 2012



Insomnia

First off, I want to thank Stacy from Magic Love Crow for helping me fix my blog so I could actually post something. Big Hugs to you Stacy.



I really wish I could sleep like the girl in the painting above. I suffer from insomnia from time to time but lately it has gotten out of hand. I have tried several things to help me sleep and none seem to be working.

Meditating, wine, beer, Melatonin, Chamomile and regular sleeping pills have all failed. After a few days of no sleep I will finally be exhausted enough to pass out. I know the culprit is my mind. I can't seen to shut it off at night. Too many thoughts running about in there.

Do any of you suffer from insomnia? If so, how do you cope? Any suggestions on what to do to get the rest I need? Your help and comments will be much appreciated on this.

Blessings, V.



image found here

Forgive

I am so sorry that I have been away for so long. Please forgive me if I have worried you. I appreciate all the well wishes and messages of concern. The only excuse I have for not blogging is feeling disconnected from Nature lately. I get my inspiration from the changing of the seasons. This Winter has not felt like Winter at all. I live in Indiana and we are supposed to have lots of snow. We have barely had any and it is very depressing to me. I know a lot of people have enjoyed this warm weather but not me. I miss the cold blast of air on my cheeks, making them rosy and tingly. The glistening of tiny little diamonds on the sleeping Earth. I miss making snowmen and snow-faeries, throwing snowballs with my girls and even shoveling all that heavy snow. I am still hoping for a big snow storm before Spring officially arrives. Maybe I should do a Snow Dance. Anyone care to join me?

For the next few days I am going to visit all the blogs I have neglected to visit in the past few weeks. I know I have missed a lot and I hope to catch up with all of you soon. Thank you all for sticking with me.

Blessings, V.

Day

Day

~George William Russell~

In day from some titanic past it seems

As if a thread divine of memory runs;

Born ere the Mighty One began his dreams,

Or yet were stars and suns.

But here an iron will has fixed the bars;

Forgetfulness falls on earth's myriad races:

No image of the proud morning morning stars

Looks at us from their faces.

Yet yearning still to reach to those dim heights,

Each dream remembered is a burning-glass,

Where through to darkness from the Light of Lights

Its rays in splendour pass.

photo by Vivienne Moss

My Early Morning Walks

My favorite thing to do before work is to go on my morning walk. As long as it is not raining I don't miss it. There are several places I like to walk. This trail is one of them. It used to be a railroad track. The community has turned it into a bike/walk trail.

I was surprised to see this yesterday when I was walking. Must have been some kids having some fun. I like that they have kept a few memento's from the old railway.

The beautiful sunrise yesterday morning. The warmed the day up to sixty degrees if you can believe it. It's January and people are wearing shorts here in Indiana. I'm sure we are going to pay for this.

I love this old barn. There are usually Turkey Buzzards flying in and out of the barn. It must have been too early for those big, beautiful birds.

A few pics of the stream that runs along the trail. The song of a running stream is one of my favorite sounds of Nature. If i listen hard enough I can understand Her Song.



When i quit smoking two years ago I gained a lot of weight. I went from a size 4 to a size 14. With these morning walks and cutting out cream and sugar in my coffee and giving up soda pops, I am now down to a size 6. It took me year to get there but I have done. if I don't lose that last size I'm okay with that. I am still not smoking and will never smoke again. I do not have the desire to do it. Cream and sugar and Cokes are another story. I swear those were harder to give up than the cigs. LOL

Thank you for joining me on my morning walk. Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed day!!

It's Time To Pull Myself Out Of The Muck

I have been a bit blah lately. I feel like the Swamp Creature is pulling me under into his cold, dark world. Don't worry, I'm not depressed, just down and lonely. I need to get out more and explore this beautiful world,  look for the bright side, the silver lining in the cloud, ect.

Enough of the pity party feeling. It's time that I celebrate the fact that I'm a wonderful mother and person. Sure I have my quirks, that's what makes me so much fun!! I love to put on some good tunes and dance around the house much to the embarrassment of my girls. We all love to sing along with The Doors in the car. There are a couple of songs that we make up our own words to. I'm sure our neighbors think we are one loony family. Acting silly is what brings me out of my murky muck feeling.

What do you do to feel better when you are down?

Great news!! My dear sister Beth found me my lumberjack!!!

This is now my new screen saver. I'm thinking of printing it off and putting it by my bed. Oh what a wonderful time I could have with him in Dream Land!

One last thing. A big thank you to my friend for making me feel better the other night. Hope everything is well with you.

Many Blessings to all, V.

Natural Music

   Natural Music
~Robinson Jeffers~


The old voice of  the ocean, the bird-chatter of little rivers,
(Winter has given them gold for silver
To stain their water and bladed green for brown to line their
     banks)
From different throats intone one language.
So I believe if we were strong enough to listen without
Divisions of desire and terror
To the storm of the sick nations, the rage of the hunger-smitten
      cities,
Those voices also would be found
Clean as a child's; or like some girl's breathing who dances
       alone
By the ocean-shore, dreaming of lovers.




image found here.

What I Am Reading

The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries can be such a daunting read that I feel the need to take a break from it every now and then. At over 500 pages long it is going to take me quite a while to get through. Add to the fact that I am highlighting  the parts I find of interest it might take me the rest of the year to finish this book. Don't get me wrong, I love this book and am enjoying the research, it just that I need a little break from it.

Over the weekend I found a couple of books for my Kindle that were for download. Sadly, when I checked today, they are no longer free unless you are a prime member. Both books are from David Rankine & Sorita D'Este. I have their book The Guises of The Morrigan: Irish Goddess of Sex & Battle. This is one of my favorite books on The Morrigan. I love all the research and dedication they put into their books.

Here are the books I downloaded and am currently reading:

Horns of Power: Manifestations of the Horned God: An anthology of essays exploring the Horned Gods of myth and folklore, ancient history through to modern times.

Some of the Horned Gods that are covered in this book are: Cernunnos, Herne, Pan, Veles, Puck and more. There are rites and prayers included and even a section of the Horned Goddess. I am only a few chapters in and am loving the fact that so many different gods are represented in this book.

The Cosmic Shekinah: A Historical Study of the Goddess of The Old Testament and Kabbalah


Some of the Ancient Goddesses covered in this book are: Innana, Ma'at, Isis, Astarte, Asherah, Aphrodite and more. I can't wait to start reading this one. I have a feeling it is going to take me on an adventure into many different lands introducing me to some goddesses I have never met before. I'll keep you updated on what I find.



The other book I am reading is one that I had to buy. The cover art pulled me in and i like the writing so much that I will probably order his other book.

Fairy Tale Rituals: Engage the Dark, Eerie & Erotic Power of Familiar Stories by Kenny Klein


I love this book. It is not you Disney characters that are covered but the Grimm stories. They are dark and enchanting tales of love, sex and death. I am on the first chapter and i had a very hard time putting this book down last night.

A few of the chapter titles:

Chapter 1
Snow-White: The Nymph; A Ritual for Sexual Attraction

Chapter 2
Snow-White and Red-Rose: Connecting With Your Totem Animal

Chapter 3
Hansel and Gretal: Faerie Mirror Magic

Chapter 7
Little Red Cap (Little Red Riding Hood): Spells For Preventing Unwanted Attention


I think I might skip to chapter 7 if the creepies don't stop hitting on me. LOL


The last book I am reading poetry. Rock and Hawk: A Selection of Shorter Poems by Robinson Jeffers ~Edited by Robert Hass

This wonderful book was recommended to me by Keith from laughing scared. I will be sure to share some of this brilliant poetry soon.


It seems that I have a lot of reading to do. It's a rainy here today making it a perfect day for reading.

What book or books are you reading?

In My Mailbox & Other News

I opened my mailbox last week to find a wonderful surprise. My dear friend Stacy from Magic Love Crow sent me a lovely package filled with wonderful goodies. I love that I found such amazing friends in blog land. She sent these gifts for both me and my girls. They were just as excited as I was.

First up are three of the cutest Love Voodoo Dolls I have ever seen. My girls have already chosen theirs. B, the oldest, wants the blue one and K, the youngest, wants the purple one. I get the yellow one, the largest of the three. I plan on charging my doll with the intention of attracting the right person into my life. I will keep my heart open for the possibilities that will be sent my way. I don't know if a lumberjack will show up, maybe not. I will wait and see who the Universe sends me.

Next up are these three beautiful bracelets. The rose quartz is for love, the one with the angels is to guard against bad people(I really need this one) and the one with flower beads is for love of Mother Earth. I have to fight my girls over these. We love them so much and they have very good vibrations to them. It feels like Stacy breathed some love into them.

Last is some sage to use for ridding my home of negativity. I was in need of this because I am out of it. I really need to get to the herb store. I used a bit of this sage in the banishing ritual I did. It worked splendidly.


Thank you so much Stacy for these wonderful and heartfelt gifts. You have brought a much needed smile to my face. Hugs my friend!!!

All of these gifts fit in nicely with my new altar. It is still a work in progress. This altar is dedicated to Aphrodite. She is not just the Goddess of love, but the Goddess of Passion. I could use some passion in all areas of my life. I have to be careful what I ask of Her because she can be fierce. I think I could use a little of that fierceness as well.


In other news, I finally got my car back after almost a month without her. Betty is running great and i am very happy to have her home. thank you all for the well wishes for her.

I haven't been on blogger much lately. I have tried to keep up with all the blogs I follow. I am also having trouble commenting on a few. Please know that I am reading your posts. My new work schedule is keeping me busy. After taking the girls to school in the morning I come home to do a little house work and run errands before work. After work I pick up the girls then come home to help with homework, cook dinner and give baths. It doesn't leave me a lot of time to blog. Once I get into the groove of things I will be on here more often.

I am now also volunteering for our local museum. I will be packing and moving some items to another building so they can open a third floor. I will have to take a special class on how to handle artifacts. I think this will be fun. I will keep you updated on any unique items I might find.


Hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to post more regularly. Blessings to all, V.

Solitude

In wilderness people can find the silence

 and the solitude and the noncivilized

surroundings that connect them

once again to their evolutionary heritage,

and through an experience of the

eternal mystery, can give them a

sense of the sacredness of all creation.

~Sigurd Olson~

When I am in need of solitude the woodlands is the place I go to. The sacredness of the land connects with all that is. To listen to the wind in the trees and the song of birds brings inner peace to my troubled mind. Sometimes I sit and feel the Earth breathing under me. Other times I dance like a wood-nymph letting the wildness of forest fill me with ecstasy. There is so much beauty here. I feel at home in these woodlands and I have a hard time coming back to reality when I visit. It is my dream to one day live in a small cottage in the forest, away from human life. Don't worry, I will emerge from time to time, visiting all my loved ones. Dancing the dance of life with them, returning to my woodland home filled with the wonder of love. Until then I will visit the woodlands in solitude, dreaming of the day I will return home.

An Offering

While out on a walk in the little patch of woodlands in my neighborhood I stumbled across this scene. I know that this is littering but to me it has a sacred feel to it. It looks as if someone left an offering to the "Spirit of the Place" after a fun night of drinking with friends.  I thought of picking the can up but it didn't feel right. I had a sense that I was to leave it be. It was His, not mine. So I left this offering there. I have a feeling He likes Coors Light. It's one of my favorite beers as well.

The next time I go for a walk I will be sure to bring a bag to pick up the rest of the trash. If that one can is still there I will leave it. It belongs there.

Kicking Zombie Ass

Just call me Vivienne, Zombie Slayer. That is who I was in my dream the other night. I was kicking zombie ass. Pounding their ugly little heads with a hammer. I know, you think I would have a better weapon but in my dream the hammer worked. I was protecting my girls and I think that is all it took for me to have the courage to kill them. After killing them, I was boarding up the house to keep other zombies out. Then I woke up wondering why the hell I just had that dream.

The dream was like a movie playing in my head. It felt very real and scared the daylights out of me. It was later in the day that I figured out why I had that dream. That night I had done a banishing ritual to rid myself and home from negative engeries, seen and unseen. I think it worked. To me, my zombie dream was telling me that I have what it takes to kick ass in this world. Hammer or no hammer, I need to protect what is mine. My girls, my house, my self. The zombies were all the negativity that was surrounding me and I just bashed them in the head to be rid of them. Of course I can't go around bashing people, though that might be a little fun sometimes when they really piss me off(LOL). I can mentally imagine that I am beaating thier heads in with hammer. A little gruesome, but it's better that doing it for real, right? My scary zombie dream endded up being not that scary at all when i thought about. I know I have what it takes and I will do all that I can.



 Someone asked me if I thought that dreams came true. I told him no, that I thought they had messages for us though. Sometimes we need to step back a bit to understand what they are trying to tell us.

Do your dreams have hidden messages for you? Do you listen to them?


image found here.

The Nature of the Sidhe



The Riders of the Sidhe
~John Duncan~




Who are the Sidhe (pronounced shee) and what do they look like? Where do they come from? Are they ghosts or another race of being all together? These are the answers I am searching for as I read The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans -Wentz. I hope to come to my own conclusions by the time I am finished reading this book. Of course, the study of the Fae could take more than a life-time.

In this book, Evans-Wentz interviews many people on the belief in the Sidhe. From peasant folk to the well read scholars, he leaves no stone unturned. I find it fascinating that all levels of humanity in the time this book was written had a belief in the unseen. Whether Fae or ghost, they believed in something. Below are some snippets of stories I found of interest in this book so far.

On page 58 a schoolmaster is asked for his opinion on the gentry (another name for the Fae Folk).
"...They consider them the spirits of their departed relations and friends, who visit them in joy and sorrow."

On page 59 we have the opinion of an unknown Irish Mystic
"...They are described as a race of majestic appearance and marvellous beauty, in form human, yet in nature divine. the highest order of them seems to be a race of beings evolved to a superhuman plane of existence, such as the ancients called gods...."

So we have two different theories of who or what the Fae could be. I am leaning toward the fact that both could be right. Maybe after death some of us go to Faery Land and others go to Heaven or any other world that may exist. I will have to study this farther to truly understand , if it can be understood at this time.

My favorite part of this book so far is the section where Evans-Wentz has a question and answer session with an Irish Mystic.  For now I will share the answer to the question of where the Sidhe come from.

Q.- "By the inner world do you mean the Celtic Otherworld?"
A.- "Yes; though there are many Otherworlds. The Tir-na-nog of the Irish, in which the races of the Sidhe exist, may be described as a radiant archetype of this world, .... In Tir-na-nog one sees nothing save harmony and beautiful forms. There are other worlds in which we can see horrible shapes."

There is much more to this question and answer session that I will share at a later date. It is refreshing to see that I am not the only one who believes in many Otherworlds. I have been to some of these worlds in dreams. Some are beautiful, pleasant place and some are worlds of pure horror. I think many of us have been to a few of these places in our dream-state. Trance journeys are a wonderful time to visit the Otherworlds. But just like in our world, there are beings you need to be cautious of, even in the worlds that are filled with beauty and wonder.

As I reads this wonderful book on the Fae I will continue to highlight the parts I find of interest and share them here. The adventure of finding out who the Fae are is turning out to be  a trill ride. I am sure I will encounter some unsavoury beings, but I have met some of those in the human world.

I Have Had Enough

Stand Up for Yourself Fellow
~Francis Duggan~


Stand up for yourself fellow for if not you,re out of luck
For if you let others use you they will drag you through the muck
And for those who seek advantage of you go treat them with disdain
But from any sort of violence your best bet is refrain.

Stand up for yourself fellow as all soft touches lose out
And every soft touch is well known he's known for miles about
The soft touches come second best on them the ruthless prey
Stand up for yourself fellow and from those exploiters keep away.

Stand up for yourself fellow but to those who treat you fair
You treat those people fairly and share with those who share
But of the sneaky type ruthless type my advice is beware
And you'll meet plenty of those type as they live everywhere.

Stand up for yourself fellow and in life you will succeed
And be fair with those who treat you fair and don't give way to greed
And earn your bread the honest way and practise take and give
For when all is said and all is done 'tis the only way to live.



This poem is for all who have felt they were wronged or taken advantage of. I am tired of being screwed over because I am nice and trusting.  What should have been a few hundred dollars and a couple days worth of work has now turned in to $1500.00 worth of damage and nearly a month without my car. The idiot who was on my car refused to believe what i said was wrong with it. He instead fixed what he thought was wrong and blew my motor. Let's just say he no longer has my car. She is now with someone else waiting for a new(used) motor so I can drive her again. I'm not sure if I am taking the man to small claims court because it would cause a rift and fight among some whom I am close to. I'll just eat the $1500.00 and mark it as a lesson learned. I do need to find a way to make this man "pay" so he can't do this to someone else. It makes me sick to think he is getting away with it and that he thinks he did no wrong. I can't stand people like that. It makes me not want to trust anyone ever again.

Have any of you ever been in this sort of situation? You know, the ones where you know you have been screwed over but to do anything would cause a big uproar. Do you have any suggestions on how to get back at him both magically and mundane?  Should I let it go or fight with a vengeance?



As for my love life. I still haven't found my Lumberjack. Though I have had plenty of married men and one man on the sex offenders list interested in me. Yes guys, I check THE LIST!! How sick can you be to hit on someone with children when your on the list. I think I'll just wait a while before i let any man into my life, even just for a date. There are just way too many sickos out there for me to deal with now.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I'm sure things will look up for me soon. I just need to get my car back and look forward to this new year and stand up for myself and what I believe in.

Blessings, V.

The Land of Dreams

"Turn down the noise. reduce the speed. Be like the somnolent bear, or those other animals that slow down and almost die in the cold season. Let it be the way it is. The magic is there in it's power"
~Henry Mitchell~


"The cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty. It fell and fell, lacing day and night in a milky haze making everything quieter as it fell, so that winter seemed to partake of religion in a way no other season did, hushed, solemn."
~Patricia Hampl~


I took this picture the other day when we had a brief, heavy snow fall. The snow flakes were the biggest I have seen in a long time. So big that they covered my phone so I only have one picture out of several that turned out . The rest are foggy.

Walking through the woods on this cold winter day felt as if I had stepped into the Otherworlds, The Land of Dreams. It was so serene, so beautifully quiet. The snow falling from the heavens felt like kisses from the angels. The redness of the berries set against the white and brown landscape remind me that there is life in this cold, barren season. It is the same life that shows in our cheeks as they turn red from the icy air. As I walked in this mystical patch of land I could feel the vibrancy of the earth under my feet. She is just sleeping for now but will awaken when the sun warms the earth once more.

As I look at this picture I will be forever taken to the Land of Dreams. To that land of sacred stillness where I can feel the magic of the Earth all around me.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

We wish you many blessings and lots of love in 2012!!!

 Wolfie, Vivienne and Mr. Mustachie