GSW Classes

An Equinoctical Retreat

2008-03-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

After a very hectic life for the last several months, I decided that I need to do a short personal retreat—a mini-escape from the world for a day, and a time in which to honor myself, and to acknowledge a group of new paths that I’ve set my feet upon. These include my completion of a Journeyman’s certificate in the Grey School, my assumption of the Deanship of the Department of Wortcunning at the GSW, and my acknowledgment of myself as a “Journeyman Herbalist,” following completion of my GSW Wortcunning Practicum. I also have finally set a completion time—Dec. 08—for my second Masters degree: this one is in English literature. Hoo-ah!

The vernal equinox seemed a perfect time for these undertakings, as the equinox symbolizes new beginnings, initiations, and the like.

Much of the nature of my retreat is, of course, personal and confidential. But two of the focal elements of the retreat were eggs and herbs: eggs in celebration of the equinox, and herbs for the Practicum and my Journeyman certificated. I realized, as I got into this, that I was also missing cooking. I love to cook, but often don't have time to, thanks to my schedule. I'm also taking Prof. Rainmaker's "Magickal Eggs" class. Put all of these together, and I figured I'd spend the days with eggs and herbs for the symbolic "springiness" of them, for the fun of cooking, and to polish off the tasks in the egg class. (Anyway, it sounded good on paper!)

In the images below, I'll share some of the eggy and herby things I did.

Last night I hard-cooked half a dozen plain white eggs. These were the eggs I'd use in my work with natural dyes. My way of hard-boiling is to cover the cold eggs with an inch of cold water, bring rapidly to a boil, cover, take off the heat, and allow to sit for 16 minutes. You then rinse the eggs with cool water to stop the cooking process. Perfect eggs every time.

While these cooked, I prepared my red and yellow dyes. For red, I used a can of beets. I wanted pink or red eggs in order to symbolize the passion and vitality with which I'll approach my new accomplishments and positions.

I opened the beets and poured them--and their juices--into my food processor.

I pureed them until they were, well, pureed.

Now for some magick, from Prof. Rainmaker's class.

I took two of the fresh, still warm, hard-cooked eggs. I used a fine needle to prick a design in the shell in the shape of Uruz onto each one. I used Uruz to connect with the meanings of strength and determination implied by the runic letter. The theory is that the dye will seep through the pinpricks that I left; when the egg is peeled, the Uruz will mysteriously have appeared right on the flesh of the egg itself. Cool, yes?

Once that was done, I put the two eggs into a small plastic bowl and poured the beet mixture over them.

I put a lid on the container and put them into the fridge to sit overnight.

Next, yellow dye--a symbol of the Sun, and its light. In another small bowl, I mixed warm water and a hefty tablespoonful of a rich curry powder. I added some turmeric to boot, and stirred in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

To this mixture I added the remaining1 warm, hard-cooked eggs in another small bowl. I put a lid on the bowl and stuck it in the fridge for the night.

Then I prepared my green dye. I used a handful of fresh parsely (from the grocery store) and placed it in a mini-food processor, along with 1/2 cup of water. I blended this until it wasn't quite pureed, but nearly so.

I took four raw eggs and used a green crayon to draw the rune Uruz onto each one. In the picture below, you can see the faint runes on each egg. I wanted green eggs for the reference to spring, and new growth.

I put the inscribed eggs into a plastic bowl (with snap-on lid) and poured the pureed parsley over the top. I then added a tablespoon of vinegar (this helps the dye fix in the eggshell) and enough water so the mixture would barely cover the eggs. I put the lid on and put it in the fridge.

So, all those sat overnight. Then, this morning....

My yellow eggs looked great! Here they are, with a white eggs for comparison. They smelled wonderful, too, with the curry powder. (Note: the flavor did not permeate the actual eggs.)

I peeled the eggs, cut them in half, and spilled out the yolks.

I mixed the yolks with may, prepared mustard, pickle, pepper, and dabs of dry mustard and curry powder.

Two fo the eggs mysteriously vanished. Magick? Or did something else happen? (You decide....)

I went out mid-morning to walk the bounds of my yard and look for herbs. I found lots of miner's lettuce and dandelions: in the picture below, the miner's lettuce has the heart-shaped leaves and is growing in the pot, while the dandelions are at the pot's base.

I found early bunches of chives, which grow in several places around the yard....

I only took small snips of all but the dandelions and rosemary, because most of the herbs are just beginning their new growth. Starting at the top and moving clockwise are chives, rosemary, thyme, parsley, miner's lettuce, and a small bit of varicolored sage, with a nice pile of dandelion greens in the center:

The dandelions have a fresh, sharp taste. They literally taste green. I can imagine how wonderful they must have tasted to aboriginal people, who had spent a long winter without anything fresh.

Next, back to my pink eggs. I rinsed off the beet juice and puree. The result was a soft pinkish tan, shown here next to an all-white egg.

When I peeled them, I got a surprise. Apparently the shells had been cracked, and the dye had seeped in and colored the entire egg! One of my pinprick attempts had worked-- the other was a smudgy mess. See below for the pink Uruz, pricked neatly into the egg. Very cool.

I cut up and boiled potatoes; I drizzled the hot potatoes with vinegar and allowed them to cool, then mixed them with the chopped pink eggs, mayo, prepared mustard, diced onion, and chopped fresh chives. The resulting salad looked weird (pink eggs?), but it was delicious.

I used plain white eggs to make a quiche. This began, of course, with a pie shell. Pie is honor in my family. Crust is always made from scratch-- although I do use the food processor to speed things up.

I prebaked the shell for a few minutes, then heaped it with shredded cheese, crispy bacon, and a mixture of chopped spinach, chopped dandelion leaves, thyme, parsley, and chives.

Over this went a mixture of cream, eggs, and a bit of salt and cayenne pepper.

And here is the yummy finished product:

YUM.

I used two of my green eggs for a custard pie-- a small pie, about 6" across. The green parsley dye worked out really well!

I mixed the eggs with more milk and cream, sugar, and a good grating of fresh nutmeg.

I rolled out a second crust....

I poured the custard into the prepared shell, and popped it into the oven.

And here's the cute little result-- next to my hand so you can see how small it is!

Of course, I sampled everything through the day-- along with sipping herbal teas throughout. I imagined the essence of spring moving through and strengthening me, filling me with purpose and resolve, and joy. (I'm also joyful over the fact that I have enough food in the refrigerator to last us for a couple of days!)

It was a great day-- a day of rest, and reading, and cooking. And relaxing. I needed it. I read from my herb books, studied runes, and just hung out with myself. It was lovely!

As a final step, I changed my altar to its spring configuration. The candlelit version is at the top of this post. Here's the daylight version, complete with eggs, seeds, goddess figures, and my GG's little iron cauldron:

Here's to spring, everyone! May all of your egg-speriments be egg-zactly as you want them to be!

Total Lunar Eclipse! August 28, 2007

2007-08-28T07:30:00.001-07:00

I got up in the wee hours to watch a total lunar eclipse. Had some fun snapping photos with my regular digital camera and tripod-- not bad results!

We open with the eclipse well underway-- around 2:20 am, as I recall.

The last remnants of light fade....

We're left with a dark, blood-red Moon. It was spectacular through the binocs!

The light began to return, as the Sun emerged from behind the Earth....

Just image what primitive people must have thought when this happened.....

Not sure why the "wing" artifact (below) appeared. ??

By the time the Moon was again visible, the glare was almost too bright to record an image.

She's back! What a great way to spend a middle of the night....

California Conclave 2007!

2007-08-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Willow Silverhawk, for a wonderful four days at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, where we gathered among the giant trees for a long weekend of classes, campfires, hikes, and good fellowship!

Kneeling, l-r: Phoenix, Mark, Starlion.

Standing, l-r: Moonwriter, Whiskerwind, Gallie, Leigha, Aaran, Willow (with Roxie), Oberon, Treeotter, Rainmaker, Hedgewitch, and Selkie.

Medicine Wheel class

2007-08-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Above is the medicine wheel I created for Prof. Ahern's 'Medicine Wheel 201' class (summer 2005). I did the classwork at home with small stones, then went to the beach to create the final project. It was an outstanding class-- highly recommended.

Build a Simple Water Feature!

2007-08-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Have you always longed for a water feature in your yard? Something to entertain the birds and add beauty and sound and moving water to a corner of your yard? You've come to the right place! Read on to find out how to install a simple, inexpensive water feature in your very own yard!

Note: This work was part of the classwork for "Elemental Gardening 402: Earth, Water, and Spirit"

First, select a spot for the water feature. You'll need to have access to a power source to run the pump, and you'll also need to be able to add water to it from a garden hose. Also, you may not want to site it under a "drippy" or leafy tree, as that'll make it harder to keep clean.

You'll need the following materials:

A full-sized plastic garbage can
A saw or heavy industrial scissors capable of cutting the can
A shovel
A carpenter's level
A permanent marker
A cinder block
A medium pond pump-- suitable to pump the water slightly above the height of the water feature
A rock hammer
A ceramic pot or urn, with a hole drilled in the bottom (the hole should be at least 5/8")
A terra cotta pot that fits snugly in the urn's mouth
1/2 inch black pond tubing-- as long as your urn is high, plus about 2 feet
Plumber's putty

Cut the garbage can into two pieces around its equator and about 1/3 up from the bottom. Dig a hole big enough to hold the garbage can's base, with about 4-5" sticking up above ground. This base will form your underground pool and will be invisible when you're done. The base of the hole must be level.

Above is a close up of the base. Optional: place about 1" of mason's sand in the bottom of the hole, as a support for the base. (This may mean digging the hole a bit deeper.)

Turn the trashcan lid upside down. Center the cinder block on it and use the permanent marker to trace around the block, adding about 1/4-1/2" on all sides. Cut out the marked off section (see above).

Next, place the cinder block in the bottom of the base as shown above.

Put the pump inside of the cinder block.

The power cord should come up over the edge of the cinder block, as shown. Note, also, that the output tube is sticking up in the middle of the pump.

Bill used a rock hammer to gently carve out channels under the cinder block, allowing the electric cord to snake out under the block and then up over the edge of the base.

Set the cut-out lid on top of the cinder block

This is what you should end up with. The lid will be supported by the base, with the cinder block just barely sticking up through the cut out. it's important that the set-up look just like this at this point, as your urn will sit on the cinder block. If the cinder block doesn't poke through, you may need to trim the height of the trashcan base an inch or so. And if you do this, you might have to fill in the hole a little, so that the edge of the base remains a few inches above the ground surface.

Test the set-up by placing the urn on the cinder block. Make sure everything is still level.

This is a good time to fill the base with water.

Place large boulders around the edges of the feature, to begin hiding the garbage can lid. We used Columbia plateau basalt, collected from the mountains. (You might say there's an endless supply of this rock around here!)

Continue working until the entire border is rocked in.

Place one end of the 1/2" plastic pond tubing on the pump outflow. Run the free end of the tubing up through the hole in the base of the urn and stand the urn back on the cinder block.

Place the terracotta pot in the mouth of the urn. The tubing should poke up through the bottom of the terracotta pot. Trim the tubing so that about 4" sticks up above the top edge of the urn.

Use plumber's (waterproof) putty to seal the hole around the base of the terra cotta pot and around the opening between the terracotta pot and the larger urn (see above). When water pumps out through the tubing, it will fill up the terracotta pot and bubble over the edges of the urn, running down the urn's sides.

Note the "engineering" principles at work here:

The base acts like a mini-pond, or storage reservoir, for the water that circulates through the water feature.
The pump sucks water our of the reservoir and movesit vertically to the top of the urn.
The water bubbles over the wide and ends up in the inverted trashcan lid. It then runs through the crevice around the cinder block and drips back down into the reservoir, ready to be recycled!

Allow the putty to dry or cure as indicated on the instructions. (Some putties don't require curing.)

Plug in the pump and try out the feature. Notice it burbling in the above picture.

Ideally, the tubing should emit water straight into the air in the exact center of the pot. If the tubing is off center, prop up the tubing with a large stone. Trim the tubing as needed.

Success!

Fill the trashcan lid with river rock or the filler of your choice (lava rock, sea glass, etc.). Add decors as desired.

Voila!

Since the bubbler is mostly enclosed, it is also mostly maintenance free. The most important thing is to make sure the reservoir is always full of water before plugging in the pump. If you're leaving it on continuously, check it at least every two days-- the water evaporates quickly.

Also, if you live in an extremely cold climate, you may want to dissemble the pump in the winter and bring it indoors. Most pumps, however, are made to take a freeze if they stay immersed.

The birds love this water feature in our yard. And it's such a pleasure to sit out next to it on a warm summer evening.

Washington Conclave 2007!

2007-08-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

More details to come, but for now, enjoy this picture of the Washington Conclave group!

Front (sitting): RowanTree and Kaia.
Front (standing): Aaran (green shirt), Kalla, Flamekeeper, Lunaris, Moonwriter (red shirt), Glenecia
Back: Sola Dragonshadow, Desert Thunderstorm, Feriluce (blue tie), Wolfblade (hat), Catafreyja, Spike

Shhh.....

2007-07-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

I'm reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows....

shhhhh......

Professor Moonwriter: M.A. in Nonfiction Writing

2007-06-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

June 16, 2007-- I "commenced" from Portland State University, receiving my M.A. in nonfiction writing!

Above: Watermusic, Moonwriter, and Lyonscribe outside the RoseGarden Arena.

Below: Lyonscribe, Moonwriter, Watermusic, and Oranstar at home earlier-- getting ready to go to the commencement ceremonies. (Yes, Lyonscribe is very tall!)

This date and event mark, for me, the culmination of five years of full-time work, study, writing, and teaching, leading to the accumulation of an A.A., B.A., and now an M.A.

What a ride.... And the moral of the story? It's never, ever too late to take on a challenge that really means something to you. One of my all time favorite quotes comes from Joseph Campbell:

Follow your bliss,
And the doors of the Universe will open wide!

The new LUMOS Avatar!

2007-03-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Here's the new Grey School LUMOS Avatar:

And the new LUMOS Banner:

Artwork courtesy of Xander Gael! (Of the Stones Lodge, of course!)

Worried about that next big Pagan family holiday?

2007-03-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Note: I added this to my blog because I thought it was humorous-- and if I, a Pagan, can't laugh at myself, who will? Well, okay... you all will, but that's not my point. I think this is a funny piece-- 'gotta love The Onion--and if it offends anyone, I'm sorry. (My personal opinion would be that you should lighten up, but each to his or her own.)

-----

From The Onion

Area Pagan Dreading Big Family Vernal Equinox Celebration

March 12, 2007 | Issue 43•11

MEDFORD, OR—Despite evidence that the planets are aligned in his favor, local pagan Jeff Birch, 27, said Monday that he would "rather have a peaceful weekend at home" than attend his family's Vernal Equinox celebration on March 21.

"I realize it's supposed to be a festive time of conception and new growth in the womb of Mother Earth and all," Birch said. "But I just know that within an hour of arriving, things will get so bad that I'll be reverting to my 12-year-old self, hiding in the rec room downstairs, wearing my Iroquois false face mask and fingering my runes for comfort. It's not worth it."

Enlarge Image

The Birches try to have a "nice, sacrificial meal."

"Anyway, wasn't I just back home for Mabon?" Birch added.

Most pagans look forward to marking the Vernal Equinox, when the hours of sunlight equal the hours of darkness. Yet for some, like Birch, this sacred springtime celebration of balance and harmony means contending with family infighting and undue stress.

"Talking to Mom the other day, it was the same old manipulative 'You're coming home, right?'" said Birch, referring to a recent phone conversation with his mother, Freyja Birch. "If I hesitate for even a second, she piles on the guilt—like how this may be the last year Nana Hippolyta can perform the garden fertility ritual, or that without my masculine energy, the yin-and-yang balance will be thrown off—until I finally give in."

"But I don't want to have to use up my vacation time and travel almost 300 miles to Portland just to listen to Grandma Moon Odin Rhiannon complain during the sunrise ritual that Mom's not putting enough rose petals in the cauldron or is letting the bonfire get too low," Birch continued. "That will just set Mom off bitching at Grandma for constantly trying to undermine her spiritual relationship with the Pagan Goddess of Dawn and then no one will speak to each other until nightfall."

Birch said he has little sympathy for his perfectionist mother, who reportedly tries to do too much and invites too many people. He says she is known to spend countless hours weaving thistle wreaths and sun-drying her own currants for hot cross buns in preparation for the Equinox. "It's hard to feel sorry for her when things don't go exactly according to her elaborate, impossible plans," Birch said. "And she knows better than to invite Aunt Isolde, who always has too much mulled mead and starts moaning about the lack of a good high priest in her life."

Besides the usual maiden-mother-crone conflicts, the strained relationship between Birch's sister, Pythia, who recently converted to Wicca, and his father, a devout Dionysian, is another source of tension, according to Birch. "Last year, Pythia brought her covenmate home, and Dad's still having a hard time with it," Birch said. "It's obvious that he doesn't approve of her lifestyle. He's always asking her why doesn't she find a nice warlock to settle down with, or telling her maybe what she really needs is a good old-fashioned bacchanalia. Are other pagan families like this?"

Pythia isn't the first family member to stray from the fold. Fifteen years ago, Birch's uncle Jack married a Presbyterian and has raised two children in the faith. While he is still included in family celebrations, his eccentric monotheism is the source of much awkwardness, Birch said. Two years ago, the black-sheep uncle almost didn't get invited back.

"Having a celestial deity worshipper in our home angered the Goddess Eostre and she punished us with an April freeze," Birch said. "My mom was barely able to salvage her herb garden."

Of all the unpleasant experiences, however, Birch said he dreads the "inevitable" questions about his love life most. "My folks can't wrap their heads around the idea that a man in his late twenties isn't handfasted yet and is okay with it," Birch said. "There's always some new Church of the Sacred Pentacle virgin or a cute single witch from the last Full Moon ritual who they just have to set me up with."

While he treasures happy memories of Vernal Equinoxes from his childhood, Birch said he comes away from today's holidays a few pounds heavier from the rich holiday food, several hundred dollars in debt from buying gifts "that will probably just get returned or regifted at Samhain anyway," and reeling from a fresh family conflict bound to last for months or years.

"I just have to learn how to say no," Birch said. "Maybe I'll skip Beltane this year. I want to lose some weight and work on my six-pack before Summer Solstice."

Brighid's crosses!

2007-02-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Aaran, Rain Storm, and I met on Feb. 3 for a GSW Portland Imbolc get-together.

We did a brief ritual firelighting, then shared bread, honey, and apples by the fire.

Then we made Brighid's crosses out of wheat! Great fun, and lovely results.

Imbolc is a cross-quarter Sabbat that occurs between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is traditionally celebrated on Feb. 2, but falls astrologically several days later.

During Imbolc, we celebrate the earliest return of life to the earth after the barren darkness of winter. Although it is still the cold, dark time of the year, the days are slowly becoming longer and we prepare to re-meet the world of spring. Small but sturdy signs of new life begin to appear. Lambs are born and new grasses appear. Ravens begin to build their nests, larks sing with a clear voice, and winter bulbs push up through the soil.

Scotland’s Old Woman of winter, the Cailleach, is reborn as Brighid, Young Maiden of Spring, fragile yet growing stronger each day as the sun rekindles its fire. With her snowy white wand, Brighid breathes life into the land and asks Winter to open his eyes.

A Brighid’s cross is made from straw or wheat. The cross-- a powerful solar symbol-- offers a blessing of protection when hung up; it's especially effective in the kitchen, where Brighid's influence can bless your food.

Gardening 601- Thematic Design

2007-01-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

This topic will show the work that I am doing as a student for this class. It’s from the Dept. of Wortcunning, taught by Prof. Barrette. It’s one of three gardening classes I’m working on right now.

Here’s the class description:

One key to effective garden design is the concept of themes. This class explains how to design a garden based on a central idea. The two examples included are a Moon Garden and a Healing Garden. You need a bit of space to grow one modest-sized garden, preferably outdoors but you can grow a container garden indoors if necessary. Expect this to take 2-3 months. You may choose either theme or design your own. You’ll need suitable gardening tools and a camera (digital, or film with a scanner) to take snapshots.

I'm going to be planting a "tea garden," one that will feature medicinal and culinary herbs for making into teas and infusions.

Above is a view (from the second-story deck) of my two raised planting beds. The one in the foreground will hold my veggies-- tomatoes, basil, lettuce, etc. The one in the rear will be the site of the tea garden. As you can see, there's lots to do first!

June 17, 2006. My email to EB, explaining my initial thoughts and plans:

For 601, I propose planting a "tea garden." I have an unused framed, raised bed, about 4' x 12 feet. I will use a combination of seeds and plants to create a garden that will provide me with materials for making infusions, both for delicious and medicinal reasons. This will be especially important as I'm taking many of my bottles of dried goodies to Conclave for student use, so I'll be ready to replenish my stocks. A formal plan is to follow.

In all cases, my funds are somewhat limited. But I have a lot of raw materials at hand-- garden tools, compost, etc.--and am gifted to live in Zone 8, with a growing season that has become almost year-round. I also have an all-organic garden, which helps it thrive. I also have some volunteer starts from rosemary and summer savory plants already growing in my yard.

June 19, 2006. EB has said “yes” to all three and has officially approved me to work on W401, 402, and 601 simultaneously.

Email note from EB: “All my gardening classes include keeping a Garden Journal for the duration of the class. For our special arrangement, 1) you can keep just one Journal for all your gardens, as long as you keep notes on all three of them, and 2) you should start journaling for each garden when you beginning planning or working on it.”

June 24, 2006. Saturday. HOT today—92 degrees and supposed to be pushing 100 in the next two days. I had planned to start putting in my tea garden a couple of days ago but got busy and didn’t get around to it—now I’m really glad I didn’t. The baby seeds and plants would have been cooked.

July 9, 2006. Still haven’t planted my garden, as it has been blazingly hot. The starts are in a sheltered spot in the driveway, out of the Sun, Fortunately, our growing season goes into October, so there’s still plenty of time.

July 10, 2006. Picked up some bags of mushroom compost and topsoil and topped off the raised bed that the tea garden will be planted in. When you use raised beds, they inevitably settle over time, and you also lose soil if/when you pull up and discard plants. Last year my tomatoes were in this bed, and at season’s end I pulled up the plants whole, as tomatoes can harbor diseases that one doesn’t want to propagate.

I laid a soaker hose atop the soil for later irrigation. I’ve always used soaker hoses on my veggies and herbs, with great results—and it saves water, too. Once the plants have reached a certain size, I’ll lay mulch around the plants and over the hose; it’s a great way to conserve water.

July 12-13, 2006. Today I planted my tea garden! I planted in the morning, a time of day synonymous with growing energies and new starts. We’re on the waning Moon, but I am already late getting this garden into the ground—I’m going to count on the soil and Sun to make up for a less-than-favorable lunar influence.

The planting box is on a north-south axis, which means I had to be careful about plant heights, so that as the sun moves from east to west along its ecliptic path, it doesn’t cause taller plants to shade shorter ones behind them. I’ve actually sketched out an arrangement that should work.

Before planting, I weeded the raised bed thoroughly and used a small shrub rake to tumble up and loosen the soil. I planted both plants and seeds: rosemary, variegated sage, summer savory, rue, anise, fennel, hyssop, anise hyssop, thyme, and calendula. At left is the result.

Note: I have lemon balm, basil, parsley, catnip, mint, oregano, echinacea, and several other herbs growing in other locations in my yard, so I intentionally didn't include these in my tea garden. I have several other varieties of sage and thyme as well.

July 19, 2006. So far, so good. The starts and transplants are all doing well—I haven’t lost even one, as best I can tell. And the first seeds—some of the thyme—have germinated.

Tomorrow is Conclave, which means I have to leave my babies behind during a 100+ degree week! Augh! Luckily Bill will be home all but one day and evening, and he’ll water them in the morning before work and then again when he gets home.

July 20-23, 2006. CONCLAVE! It was even hot in the forest, and in Portland, one of the days reached 105! All I could do was hope Bill was taking care of all of the plants—not just my tea garden. He’s really good with plants, so I felt pretty good about it. But hey, it really didn’t matter, because no way was I missing Conclave!

Bill came out to Conclave on the evening of the 22nd; he’d watered the heck out of everything before he left: he added some mulch to the tea garden and put a sheet/awning over it to shield the babies from the hot sun during the 24 hours they wouldn’t be watered.

July 24, 2006. Everything survived our absence--the starts and transplants are all fine, and all of my seeds except the anise hyssop (which are slow germinators) have sprouted. Below is a photo of the garden and a closer image showing a row of nicely sprouted anise.

July 27, 2006. Everything is thriving—the starts have actually begun to add size. All of the seeds have sprouted except for the anise hyssop, which seems to have gone MIA. Wonder if I got a tired bunch of seeds?

August 2, 2006. Today is Lughnasadh! It’s a waxing moon--a fine time to plant or honor things that grow mostly above ground. I went out very early (not at sunrise, I confess—but still early) and did a short ritual to honor the fecundity of the Earth and her elements. The ritual was spontaneous and not written down, but here is a quick summary of what I did:

I washed my hands and face, slipped on a cloak and a green (wortcunning) shawl, and gathered my materials in a wicker gardening basket.
The irony of Imbolc being the "First Harvest" wasn't lost on me-- I had no harvest yet, thanks to planting late. But I was still thrilled with the garden's progress, and anxious to honor that.
My materials included: an altarcloth; a piece of bread; an abalone shell; matches; a sweetgrass bundle (from sweetgrass grown in my yard); salt; small containers of cream, water, and marionberry cordial (the latter made in the fall of 2005); and my applewood wand.
I processed silently out to the garden space. I arranged my materials on an altarcloth on the grass next to the planting box.
I spent several minutes in silence, listening and meditating, trying to connect with the energy of the place. It was a sunny morning, and already warm. There was a light breeze.
I raised my hands and wand and called the quarters/elements.
I then paid homage to the elements by "annointing" the garden; I lit a sweetgrass smudge and wafted its smoke over the garden's eastern corner, and then over the rest of the garden, and then over myself. I snuffed out the smudge and sprinkled a few of the cooling ashes over the garden's southern edge. I sprinkled water on the western edge, and finished by scattering salt in the northern portion.
I then thanks the garden for its enthusiasm and fecundity. I drizzled a small portion of cream over the soil, and then toasted with my own glass of cordial (drinking it-- not pouring it on the ground!).
I then pulled back the quarters, and offered a murmured blessing over the land before gathering my goodies and going back to the house.
Shortly after, I returned and gave the garden the blessing of a thorough watering!

I have officially given up on the anise hyssop—there’s absolutely no sign of it germinating. Either I got some old seeds, or the heat was too much for them. I suspect the latter—it’s my own fault for starting so late. Anyway, I still have hyssop-- even though it's quite different in flavor and use than anise hyssop-- and I also have anise. Anise hyssop is my all-time favorite tasty tea ingredient, so I'm mourning its absence. Wll try again next year.

August 8, 2006. Things are coming along. Even though I got a late start planting, everything is growing robustly, probably thanks to our long, very warm, days and the fact that the tea garden is in a raised bed and sited where it gets 12-14 or more hours of sun each day. Yay! Our climate stays warm into early October, so I think there's still plenty of time for growing. The raised bed is a real plus; it provides good drainage and also keeps the soil warm, speeding everything along. Ditto for the fact that the bed is brimming with organic compost.

August 28, 2006. Here's a photo of the garden.... The fennel and anise are shooting up and the summer savory is just beginning to flower. Tomorrow morning I'll cut the summer savory back and save it for drying-- it is amazing when added to vegetable and egg dishes. (I can’t imagine cooking without it!) The bees also love it, if you allow it to go into full flower, which I don’t usually do, as the herb itself is much better if you harvest it before it flowers.

Notice the volunteer sunflower-- a gift from the birds!

(I thought I had another picture of the garden taken around mid- to late September, but I can't find it. I must have accidentally deleted it. Imagine the same picture as above, but with everything even bigger. The little raised bed looked as if it was overflowing!)

One thing I've noticed about using raised beds is that you can cram a lot more into them than in a similar space in the ground. I suspect it's because the warmth and good drainage create an optimum setting that can support more than the usual amount of plant mass.

Sept. 18, 2006. I was tempted to start harvesting, but the days were still warm and the nights hadn't really begun to cool yet. I decided to hold out for another week or two. The fennel hasn't produced mature seed heads yet, and it would be nice it I could get some seeds before the garden begins to fade.

Sept. 30, 2006. Bill is off on his annual hunting trip, and this was a perfect time to harvest my garden. I cut herbs early in the morning. I soaked them in a sink full of mild salt water (a good way to cleanse them and to kill bugs or parasites), then rinsed them and allowed them to dry on newspaper set out all over the living and dining room (again, it was very convenient that Bill was gone!).

I left the fennel in place for now-- the seed heads aren't ripe yet, and I'm hoping there's still some time for them to finish up. The nights are cooling a little, but still staying around 48-50, and the raised beds will stay warm for lots longer than the earthly soil.

I also went around the yard and harvested mint, lemon balm, oregano, catnip, and others.

Oct. 1, 2006. After checking the herbs to make sure the were dry, I bound them into loose bundles and hung them in Bill's office room to dry. It already smells great in there.

I've had a great result, I think, considering it's a relatively small garden and I started late. I'm honestly a bit suprised at how productive it was-- I can only imagine the results I'd have gotten if I'd planted a month or two sooner.

Oct. 16, 2006. I harvested the fennel, both the seedheads (only a few matured)-- which will dry on flat trays-- and the bulbs (small, but should still be tasty), which I will use in the kitchen. I have a great fresh green bean and fennel recipe.

Now for a little bit about my component plants:

Anise
Pimpinella anisum; a member of the parsley (apiaceae or umbelliferae) family.
Folk names: Anneys, Aniseseed, Yanisin, Sweet Cumin (1).
Culinary uses: Has a light licorice taste; very tasty in tea, used in some breads, pastries, etc.
Medicinal uses: digestive upsets, toothache (when applied locally to the affected tooth). The essential oil can treat lice and scabies infestations. Magickal uses: Protection, purification, youthfulness (1).
Garden notes: Germinates quickly, then grows robustly.

Calendula
Calendula officinalis; Aster family: asteraceae or, alternatively, compositae.
Folk names: Bride of the sun, Drunkard, Goldes, Holigolde, Husbandman's Dial, Marybud, Marygold, Mary Gowles, Ruddes, Ruddles, Spousa Solis (Summer's Bride) (1). Also known as "pot marigold."
Culinary uses: the petals are edible and attractive additions to salads.
Medicinal uses: a petal infusion or tincture can be taken orally for GI upset, ulcer, and sore throat. The infusion can also be used topically as a treatment for skin infections, blisters, etc. A mixture of dried or frozen petals, carrier oil, and either beeswax or melted petroleum jelly makes a soothing ointment or cream, useful for any local skin problems, rashes, etc. (2). The leaves can be macerated for a poultice for gout or arthritis (2).
Magickal uses: Protection, prophetic dreams, legal matters, psychic powers (1).
Garden notes: very easy to grow with little. Produces more flowers if pruned. Annual plant, but self-seeds and regrows year after year.

Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare; a member of the parsley (apiaceae or umbelliferae) family.
Folk names: Samar, Sweet Fennel, Sheeh (1).
Culinary uses: Yet another licorice-flavored plant. Bulb, foliage, and seeds used in cooking.
Medicinal uses: Fennel is seen as a warming herb, and is often used to treat chills (and associated fever), as well as asthma and lung problems. Infusions, tinctures, and decoctions are used to treat digestive problems (2). the essential oil makes a good chest rub for congestion (2). A root decoction is affective for kidney stones (2).
Magickal uses: Protection, healing, purification. In Dionysian ceremonies, the staff-like thyrsus was a twined combination of pine cone, staff, and fennel stalks (1).
Cautions: Fennel is a known uterine stimulant and should be avoided during pregancy and the post-partum period (2).
Garden notes: Easy to grow; likes well-drained soil and a fair amount of water.

Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis; member of the mint (Laminaceae) family. Folk names: Hyssop Herb, Isopo, Ysopo, Yssop (1).
Culinary uses: imparts a strong minty flavor with bitter undertones; useful in teas.
Medicinal uses: an infusion of aerial parts is superb for treating cough, colds, and upper respiratory infections (URIs); hyssop can likewise be added to any other URI-deisgnated infusion. Thought to have antiinflammatory properties. The infusion is also effective in treating bruises and simple wounds. The essential oil may be used as a nerve tonic. A cogh syrup made from an infusion or decoction is very effective, especially if mixed with licorice root, anise, and/or mullein (2).
Magickal uses: Protection and purification; according to Cunningham, hyssop is the most widely used purifying herb (1).
Garden notes: Easy to grow; responds to pruning by doubling growth. Beloved by honeybees!

Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis; mint (Laminaceae) family.
Folk names: Compass Weed, Dew of the Sea, Elf Leaf, Guardrobe, Incensier, Libanotis (Greek), Polar Plant, Sea Dew (1)
Culinary uses: Lovely flavoring for meats and roasted vegetables. Woody stems can be used a skewers for grilling.
Medicinal uses: The infusion is excellent for colds, flu, and other upper respiratory infections. A concentrated tincture is a powerful tonic/stimulant, and useful for depression (2). The essential oil may be added to a bath to ease joint and muscle pain, or diluted in a carrier oil for a soothing massage (esp. good for arthritic conditions (2)).
Magickal uses: Protection, love, lust, mental powers, exeorcism, purification, healing, sleep, youth (1).
Garden notes: Rosemary will grow well regardless of what you do to it. It's about the most tolerant plant I know--surviving heat, cold, varied water, bad soil, etc.--and grows robustly. If you prune a branch, the plant will set a "fork" and grow bushier. Rosemary is an evergreen perennial shrub.

Rue
Ruta graveolens. Family Rutaceae ("citrus fruit" family (3)).
Folk names: Bashoush (Coptic), Garden Rue, German Rue, Herb of Grace, Herbygrass, Hreow, Mother of the Herbs, Rewe, Ruta (1). Culinary uses: The leaves are bitter, but rich in iron and trace minerals; they are a powerful addition to salads when used sparingly. Traditional flavoring for grappa and other alcholic beverages (3).
Medicinal uses: Stimulant and antispasmodic actions. Used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including hypertension, colic, digestive problems, skin rashes, and (arcane use) epilepsy (3). A leaf infusion makes a soothing eye wash (supposedly used by Michelangelo and da Vinci (3)). The dried aerial parts are useful in insecticidal mxtures.
Magickal uses: Healing, health, mental powers, exorcism, love (1).
Garden notes: Slow-growing, but durable. Rue is an evergreen.

Summer savory.
Family Labiateae (mint family)
Folk names: Herbe de St. Julien, Garden Savory (1), Herb of Grace (3). Culinary uses: With its peppery flavor, summer savory is a delicious addition to eggs, fish, and vegetables.
Medicinal uses: Aids digestion and soothes dyspepsia. A leaf infusion helps treat skin infections and abrasions. A leaf poultice releves bee stings (3).
Magickal uses: Mental powers (1).
Garden notes: If grown from seed, germinates slowly. Once growing, it's a very sturdy plant that thrives in hot sun and with little water. Self-seeds and creates new plants with ease (these plants are then very easily transplanted.) Best flavor comes when harvested before flowerins begins. A favorite of honeybees.

Thyme
Thymus vulgaris. Family Labiatae (mint).
Folk names: Common Thyme, Garden Thyme (1).
Culinary uses: Used in flavoring soups and stews; also tasty in egg and vegetable dishes. A traditional flavoring for Benedictine liquers (3).
Medicinal uses: An infusion of aerial parts settles the stomach and bowels and treats sore throats, colds, and respiratory problems. A syrup made from the infusion is effective for cough and bronchitis. The essential oil is antiseptic and a nerve stimulant.
Magickal uses: health, healing, sleep, psychic powers, love, purification, courage (1).
Cautions: Has uterine stimulating properties; avoid use during pregnancy. Can irritate skin and mucous membranes; always dilute well when usign topically.
Garden notes: Easy to grow; needs little water and lots of sun. responds beautifully to trimming. Can be harvest before or during flowering.

Golden Variegated Sage
Salvia officinalis, var. Icterina. Family Labiatae (3).
Folk names: Garden Sage, Red Sage, Sawge (1).
Culinary uses: roasted meats, especially pork; stuffings; poultry, Medicinal uses: A leaf infusion is a good nerve tonic, and also is a powerful remedy for coughs and bronchial constriction; as a gargloe, the infusion soothes sore throats and inflamed tonsils. May aid with menopausal symptoms through presence of hormonal precursors (3). The root is used in Chinese medicine; I have no experience with this.
Magickal uses: Immortality, longevity, wisdom, protection, wishes (1).
Cautions: Because of hormonal actions, avoid during pregnancy or lactation.
Garden notes: Very easy to grow; loves hot sun and doesn't need much water. Responds well to pruning. A perennial plant, sage survives well through cold winters, although it tends to get woody and a little homely with time, so if it's also being grown as an ornamental, it may need periodic replacing.

Herbal Information Sources:

1. Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2005.

2. Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. New York: DK Publishing, 1993.

3. Bremness, Lesley. Herbs. The Visual Guide to More Than 700 Herb Species from Around the World. London: DK Books, 1994.

-----

Recipes

A favorite culinary tea recipe:

Boil 1 cup spring water. Pre-warm a mug with hot water.

Empty water from mug. Fill an infuser with 1 tsp each of dried spearmint, 1 tsp. anise leaves, and 1 tsp chamomile. Pour boiling water over and steep for 5 minutes. Serve with honey, if desired.

A favorite medicinal tea recipe: good for cold, sore throat, etc.

2007-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

Red-tailed hawk

2007-01-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

Caught this image of a big red-tailed hawk perched on a utility pole just behind my house and just after sunset (in late December, 2006).

This guy lives in the wetland behind the house, and comes by to peruse my bird feeders (a.k.a., the hawk smorgasbord!). He's huge, and very handsome. I love knowing that something so wild lives, literally, in my back yard.

The Yule Wolf Clock

2007-01-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the hard work of the Stones' current Prefect, Cashew, the Lodge gave our Headmaster and Headmistress a wonderful Yule gift this year: a wolf clock (see above).

Cashew mailed it to the HM and HMs along with a card containing wishes from individual Stones. The clock was signed and on the back with:

"Happy Yule from the Stones Lodge!"

Winter Altar

2006-12-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

My winter altar is very informal, consisting of an arrangement of small lighted houses on a "snowscape." Earth is represented by the snowy ground and by trees; air by the suggestion of snowflakes and the birds on the fences; fire by the lights, and by the crystalline wreath that hangs above the altar; and water by the snow itself, and by the tiny birdfeeder.

Weather images

2006-12-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ice storm:

Giant hailstones:

Black ice:

Snow:

Tasseomancy

2006-11-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

At last night's "Grey School Portland" meeting, Aaran and I practiced tasseomancy, the art of reading tea leaves.

Of course, we had to start by brewing some tea. We used organic herbs from my own garden-- mint and some anise hyssop: 1 tsp. dried herb to 1 C. freshly-boiled water, steeped for 5 minutes.

We had two written guidelines to use, and each was different. So we went through the process a couple of times, and here's what we ended up with.

Tasseomancy: The Aaran-Moonwriter Method

1. Use a real tea cup and saucer--the inside should be completely white (or solid color)-- patterns make it very hard to read the leaf patterns.

2. Measure the amount of water that the cup holds-- most tea cups will hold 4-5 ounces.

3. Brew your tea. Work from a base recipe of 1 tesp. dried herb per cup of freshly boiled water.

4. For best results, grind the herbs slightly. You don't wnat them powdered, but you also want the leaf mix of a more uniform size, i.e., whole leaves and big chunks will keep the leaves from settlign into patterns as easily.

5. Measure the herbs into the cup, pour water atop, cover with the saucer, and steep for 5 minutes.

4. When time is up, sit down and drink your tea. As you do, think about the question you wish to have answered in the tea leaves.

5. Drink almost all the water, leaving only enough to create a watery film over the tea leaves.

6. Swirl the tea cup several times with your left hand, while thinkign hard about your question.

7. Put the saucer over the cup. Holding cup and saucer tightly together, flip them over. Do this very quickly.

8. Lift the now-inverted cup off of the saucer and turn it over slowly, so as not to disturb the leaves.

9. You can now read the leaves in both the cup and the saucer.

10. Use a guide to help interpret obvious symbols (see the Companion for the Apprentice Wizard for a staring guide). But also rely on your own intuition, and on any meanings the caom to you from the leaves. This can be even more valuable that pre-assigned pattern/meaning.

11. According to a compilation of sources:

The tea cup represents information that pertains directly to you and those around you. Patterns near the cup handle or at the point where your lips touched the cup are especially meaningful, while those further from the handle are more distant and less immediately relevant. Patterns closest to the rim relect the present, while those in the cup's bottom foretell the future.

The saucer contains information more relevant to the world or sphere around you.

-----

Here is a snake (generally a symbol of changing luck)in Aaran's cup... and it's near the rim (the present):
Below is Moonwriter's cup (this is how we learned, the hard way, not to use cups with interior patterns!), showing a horse (or dog?) in the center. The horse appears to leap or gallop toward the viewer's left. Note that just above it is a bird. The horse is a sign of courage and fidelity, while the bird portends good luck.

Fun! Once you've got the hang of this, it would be a terrific-- and easy-- type of personal divination to add to one's day. (And tasty, too!)

Good sites for learning more:

So you wanna read tea leaves?
Tea leaf reading-- Tasseography (also mentions coffee ground reading)
Tea Society of the USA
Tasseography-- Wikipedia

Samhain Altar

2006-11-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

My altars are generally placed atop an antique radio cabinet-- I use it as a book and curio shelf. It sits at the top of the stairs, at a location I believe to be very close to the center of the house. the nice thing about it is that it's visible to anyone who enters the house, walks through the main living/kitchen/hallway area, or comes up the stairs.

My Samhain altar is pictured above, along with a seasonal autumn dried berry wreath (I change the wreath on the solstices and equinoxes):

Close-up of the altar:

Samhain altar at night.....

Get your official Oregon Conclave DVD!

2006-08-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Conclave DVDs are ready! Each DVD includes 524 images and runs for about 36 minutes.

DVDs are recorded on DVD-R video, playable on computer or on a television screen via a standard DVD player. All DVDs are mailed in a jewel case and inside a padded mailer.

Cost: $10 + $2 for postage & handling

(Anyone outside continental US—please add $1.)

A portion of the proceeds goes back to the Grey School, so don't hesitate to toss in something extra as a donation!

Payment must be in cash (send at your own risk) or post office money order. I’m doing this from my home and don’t have the ability to handle PayPal or credit cards, and I don’t want the risk of dealing with checks.

To order a DVD:

1. Email me (Moonwriter@greyschool.com) with your order request.
2. I will reply to you with a mailing address; you can then send in payment.
3. As soon as I receive your payment, I’ll mail your DVD! I’ll do my best get them mailed out promptly, but if I get a bunch of requests all at one, it may take a week or two.

1. Welcome to Oregon Conclave 2006!

2006-08-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

We camped at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon, at an elevation of about 1200 feet and in the foothills of Oregon’s Cascade range.

Temperature: upper 90s to 100-ish, but surprisingly comfortable in the shade. Staying hydrated was important!

Check-in was at 4 pm. The next few hours were devoted to setting up camp, having dinner, and introducing ourselves to one another.

2. Thursday, July 20, 2006: The first campfire

2006-08-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

As with all of our campfires, the first one was held in our fire circle.

3. Friday, July 21, 2006: The first morning in camp

2006-08-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

Looking out over our camp:

Our Lodge Captain, Aaran, concentrates on (or maybe pleads with?) her morning coffee.

Defensor WillowRune on duty! She set up protective wardings around the camp and performed tirelessly as our 'chief of security."

Willow Silverhawk and WillowRune led morning meditations in the fire circle.

4. Friday, July 21, 2006: The hike!

2006-08-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Friday morning found the Silver Falls hikers getting an early start to beat the anticipated 100 degree heat. Hike leaders: Aaran, Lyonscribe, and (a volunteer assistant) Desert Thunderstorm.

Front (l-r): Mary Lee, Desert Thunderstorm, Whiskerwind, Cate. Middle: Mark Summer, Aurora1, Oranstar, Gallie, Leigha, Sagewomin, Aaran (in black), Irene Gingery, Treeotter. Back: Lyonscribe, WaterMusic, Mary (raising hand), Rainmaker, John Gingery. (Moonwriter, alas, had to miss the hike because of a brief home-front crisis that required her to dash into Silverton to find a pay phone. Did we mention that there was no cell coverage and no wireless at Silver Falls? YES!!)

Aaran and Lyonscribe consult the trail map.

On the trail! Before starting out, the hike leaders made sure that hikers were carrying LOTS of water.

Desert Thunderstorm points out a waterfall to Whiskerwind, with Leigha and Lyonscribe looking on.

The big one: South Falls. Note the hikers walking behind the falls.

Yet another lovely falls on the trail.

And yet another hiking picture:

North Falls:

5. Friday, July 21, 2006: Morning classes and morning meditations

2006-08-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

Temperatures today reached 108 in Portland, and 100 in camp! We'd later find out that heat records were set this weekend all over Oregon.

After the hikers had set off on their adventure, classes went on back at camp:

CLASS: Introduction to Numerology (Taught by Morgan Felidae, Day Lodge)

CLASS: Divination Practice (Kalla, Day Lodge)

CLASS: Personal Sigils (WillowRune, Day Lodge)

Kalla demonstrates a popular way of keeping cool....

6. Friday, July 21, 2006: Afternoon classes

2006-08-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

CLASS: Wandmaking (Rainmaker, Day Lodge). Teacher Rainmaker at left. Not sure who's hiding behind her, but on the right (front to back) are Willow Silverhawk, Mary Lee, and Sagewomin.

Two of the finished products:

CLASS: Charms and Talismans (Moonwriter, Day Lodge)

(l-r) Aaran, Cate, Jason, April, and Willow Silverhawk building their charms.

Rainmaker was put in charge of weatherworking for our Conclave, and given the 100 degree temperatures, it could be argued that she did her job a little too well. In ‘Charms’ class, April created a charm to bring in the west wind (which was currently blowing in from the east). Within half an hour of activating her charm, the wind changed! Not only that, but it brought in a light cloud cover. The heat mitigated somewhat, but the air became very muggy. Interesting!

CLASS: In-Person Core Energy Practices (Moonwriter, campfire ring; no photos)

A dip in one of the local swimming holes (this one below Upper North Falls) was a popular way to beat the 100 degree heat. Here are Watermusic and Lyonscribe, taking advantage of the cool water.

7. Friday, July 21, 2006: Pot luck

2006-08-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we shared a communal potluck supper in our own Great Hall (a.k.a. the Silver Falls day lodge). Our Captains provided the elemental decor!

The event had been planned very casually, and despite Moonwriter's fear that we might end up with 30 loaves of bread, it turned out to be a varied and spectacular feast! Leave it to a group of Wizards to somehow just know what to bring!

The Earth group (l-r: Aaran, Earth Prefect Oranstar, Desert Thunderstorm, Irene & John Gingery, Cate, and Kalla):

Air (l-r: Lyonscribe, Watermusic, April, Jason, Mark, WillowRune, and Morgan):

Fire (l-r: Starlion Redman, Leigha, Gallie, Aurora1 (hiding behind Gallie?), Fire Prefect Treeotter, Whiskerwind, and Water Prefect Willow Silverhawk):

Water (l-r: Mary Lee, Air Prefect Sagewomin, Rainmaker, Mary, and James:

Great food, amazing company....

At the Earth table, we found a reversed, "blank" Oreo. Kalla decided to sell it on eBay, to raise money for the Phoenix upgrade! (uh huh....)

8. Friday, July 21, 2006: Evening classes and a ritual

2006-08-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Starlion Redmane (left) and Desert Thunderstorm practice the martial arts.

CLASS: Choosing Your Animal Companion or Familiar (Morgan, her camp site). The class starred Eos, Morgan's pet rat. Here's Eos on James' shoulder, in his and WillowRune's campsite.

Ritual for new beginnings (led by Kalla in our central meadow). We're not sure if it was the Spiral Dance, or Desert's booming voice shouting, "THE RITUAL IS STARTING IN THE MEADOW, AND DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR WANDS" that upset our ... special neighbors.

9. Friday, July 21, 2006: Bardic Circle/Sat

2006-08-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

Every evening ended with a campfire. This was taken on Friday, at the start of a wonderful Bardic Circle that featured stories, poems, songs, personal reflections, and even a light-saber duel!

No star watching tonight, thanks to April’s charmed cloud cover!

10. Saturday, July 22, 2006: Morning meditations and group photo

2006-08-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

WillowRune and Willow Silverhawk led morning meditations each day. The group met in the campfire circle.

After our 9 am morning meeting, we gathered for a group photo. Everyone wore their GSW T-shirt or elemental colors, and many also wore their Conclave color ties.

WaterMusic models the attire for well-dressed Conclavians in the Air group:

Above is a group shot, taken by Cate. This was taken on Saturday morning. Most people are wearing either a GSW T-shirt or a shirt in their elemental group color, along with their color ties. Front: WillowRune (kneeling), Kalla (sitting). Front row: Mark Summer, Willow Silverhawk, Sagewomin, Mary Lee Seal, Rainmaker, TreeOtter. Middle row: Gallie (sitting), Leigha (sitting), Whiskerwind (standing, in red), Aurora1 (standing, in black w/red tie), Aaran. Back: Oranstar, Moonwriter, WaterMusic, Lyonscribe, Desert Thunderstorm, Starlion Redmane, April Degele, Jason Stiers, John Gingery (tall man!), Irene Gingery (shorter woman, standing in front of John), Morgan Felidae, James Tryon.

Missing: Katalan, Ashley, Lili.

11. Saturday, July 22, 2006: Morning classes

2006-08-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

CLASS: Herbology 101: Potions (Moonwriter, her campsite)

Jason, Lyonscribe, and Kalla take notes.

Aurora1, Treeotter, Mary Lee, and Sagewomin practice their simples, brews, and infusions.

Ingredients from Moonwriter's formulary:

Aurora1, Treeotter, and Jason try out their potions:

CLASS: Making a Magickal Bag (Whiskerwind, campfire ring). (l-r) Irene Gingery, Treeotter, and Desert Thunderstorm work on their bags.

Our Lodge Captains, Kalla and Aaran, in one of many planning sessions.

CLASS: Runemaking (WillowRune and Morgan, campfire ring). l-r: Whiskerwind, Treeotter, WIllowRune, Cate, Morgan, Aurora1, and Desert Thunderstorm.

12. Saturday, July 22, 2006: Afternoon classes

2006-08-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

CLASS: Writing Guided Meditations (Kalla, Day lodge)

CLASS: Nature Studies 101 (Moonwriter, her campsite).

Western red cedar:

Maidenhair fern:

A snowberry growing from a cedar "nurse stump":

Bracken fern:

Temperate rain forest of the Oregon Cascades:

A dip in one of the local swimming holes (this one below Upper North Falls) was a popular way to beat the 90-100 degree heat. Here are Watermusic and Lyonscribe, cooling off.

CLASS: Making a Wizard’s Staff (Moonwriter and Wild Bill, her campsite)

Thanks to Prof. Dragontree's notes and ideas, we were able to pull off the ‘Making a Wizard Stave’ class. It was one of the most popular of all! Here (l-r), Aurora1, Treeotter, Cate, and WillowRune select staves from the pile of apple, willow, and hawthorne "blanks" provided by the instructors.

Will Bill explains some of the lore and traditions of staffs and staves.

Wild Bill shows Whiskerwind how to fine-tune her stave.

13. Saturday, July 22, 2006: Evening classes

2006-08-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

CLASS: Tarot session (Kalla, Day Lodge). No photos were taken, but Kalla led participants through a discussion of tarot and some sample readings. Later on, the Pookie Moose showed off his new-found expertise.

CLASS: Outdoor Cooking (taught by Rainmaker and Moonwriter, in Moonwriter’s campsite). Four techniques were taught: one-pot cookery (Rainmaker’s famous Mulligan stew), camp-style Dutch oven cookery (roasted chicken with dirty rice), foil cookery (ground beef and veggies), and stick cookery (biscuit twists).

Rainmaker's special recipe for Mulligan Stew:

*****

Mulligan Stew

Some people know this as “Stone Soup”. Sometimes you may simply not know how many people you will need to feed. For those occasions, plan on serving a Mulligan Stew. Have every hungry diner bring three items: a one-person serving each of a vegetable, a starch, and a protein (for children under 10, plan on the parent just bringing a vegetable or a protein. You, as the cook, will have the fire, stove or coals ready, and will also have a large pot ready for cooking, plus a can opener, a large spoon for stirring and a ladle for serving. The flavor of this stew depends entirely on the type of food brought by your guests. I have made this many times, and have never had one that turned out tasting bad, although they sure were different!

Here are some suggestions for the vegetables:
• A cup of diced onion (unpeeled onions need no refrigeration even on longer trips)
• A cup of diced carrots (whole carrots, not the peeled baby ones, need no refrigeration on longer trips)
• A cup of diced parsnips (whole parsnips need no refrigeration on longer trips)
• A cup of diced celeriac/root celery (also needs no refrigeration)
• A 1-lb can of any vegetable: green beans, peas, peas and carrots, corn, cream-style corn, bamboo shoots, mushroom slices, artichoke hearts, beets, tomatoes, water chestnuts, small can of tomato paste, just to give some suggestions. Pretty much anything goes!

Some suggestions for the starch (I’m including legumes here, although they’d fit in all three categories):
• 1 cup chopped potatoes (potatoes need no refrigeration on longer trips)
• 1 cup pasta (break spaghetti into small pieces or use smaller shapes)
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 cup split peas
• A 1-lb can kidney beans
• A 1-lb can refried beans (great for thickening the stew)
• A can of pork and beans

Some suggestions for the protein:
• 1 cup diced summer sausage (needs no refrigeration on longer trips)
• a couple of sliced hot dogs
• a sliced kielbasa
• a cup of diced bacon
• a small can of ham
• a small can of chicken
• a can of beef stew
• a couple of small cans of Vienna sausages
• a couple of raw hamburgers (if refrigeration is available) or ½ lb raw or cooked hamburger meat
• NO tuna, please

Wait until everybody arrives with their food. Now you’ll have to sort a bit: some food, such as bacon, hamburger and onions, might be better if sautéed before liquid is added. Also sort your ingredients roughly by cooking time: Parsnips, rice, split peas and lentils take about 20 minutes, quinoa, celeriac and carrots about 15 minutes, chopped potato and pasta about 10 minutes, couscous about 5 minutes, while any canned food and hot dogs just need to heat through. Use the liquid from canned vegetables as your cooking liquid, add water only as needed.

Start by sautéing any items that need it, then add the cooking liquid and the items with the longest cooking time. Add items with shorter cooking time in turns, finally adding all the ingredients that just need to be heated through. Continue cooking until all items are heated through, and serve.

Another variation on this is “Stone Soup.” The “home chef” provides a kettle of broth, and everyone brings things to add to it.

*****

Moonwriter issues instructions. "This is the fire," she says, wittily. (l-r: Aaran, Wild Bill, and Watermusic look on.)

Moonwriter shows how to wrap foil dinners using a "drug store seal," while (l-r) Whiskerwind (in red), Aaran, Sagewomin, Mary Lee, and Lyonscribe look on.

While food bubbled in the Dutch oven, the foil dinners roasted over coals.

A good dinner was had by all!

14. Saturday, July 22, 2006: Rituals, Campfire, Awards

2006-08-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

Aurora1 and Treeotter prepare for the final campfire and ritual. Besides their brand new staves-in-progress, Aurora1 holds Eos, Morgan’s pet rat.

Professor Rainmaker, in regalia:

Professor Moonwriter:

Defensoir WillowRune:

Aaran laid the campfire, and later on, everyone sprinkled in ashes and dirt brought from their own homes, altars, and fires. The evening included a healing ritual for Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, Hedwig Dragontree, and any others that people wished to send personal healing to, as well as a blessing and charging of rune-enscribed wands, created for Oberon and MG and held here by Willow Silverhawk.

We also included a “connectivity ritual,” reaching out to fellow Grey School students, who were doing the same ritual in their own home locations. The ritual, as written by Crow Dragontree, follows:

* * * * * * *
Not everyone who would love to go to the Conclave can make it, unfortunately. However, we wanted to be able to provide a way in which we can all "connect" with our GSW family.

This spell is designed to be simple and flexible, that it may fit within whatever traditional framework you choose. It is my firm belief that in the heart of good magick beats simplicity. The fewer "moving parts" there are, the fewer things can go awry. Of course, I invite you to disagree heartily with me. In that case, I offer you a second hallmark of good magick: Flexibility.

If you feel that this spell is too simple, if you feel that it needs a bit of tweaking in certain places or if it just feels wrong for you in any way, simply change it while your casting. The point is the intention, not rigidly following a set of instructions. After all, if you follow each of these steps to the letter, but are leery about one detail or the other, your concentration will not be directed in the proper direction.

The Conclavians will be casting their spell at 9:15 PM this Saturday night, July 22. Since it is the intention of this spell to connect all of us, it would be a very good idea to cast this at the same time. Since the conclave is being held in PST, you may wish to check the time zones to see what time 9:15 PST is where you are. I find this site to be extremely helpful here.

Preparing:

You'll need delightfully few items to cast this particular spell. For those of you at the Conclave, you‚ll need a roaring campfire, a small bit of wood (it should be relatively small and dry, such as a bit of bark from the firewood; you are going to be burning this), something with which you can mark a symbol or phrase on the wood.

Now, think of what you desire to come of your activity with the Grey School over the course of the next year. Will it be to raise public awareness of GSW? Perhaps you‚d like to see GSW advance in some fashion? Whatever the intent may be, draw a symbol or sentence of that intent on the bit of wood. This may be a bindrune, a runic script, a symbol, sigil, picture or phrase of your choice.

Those of you playing the home version will want to do something very similar, but substituting a candle for a campfire and paper for the bit of wood. In order to enhance the connection between your candle and the Conclave campfire, why not make it a red one? Although nearly any kind of paper is useful for this spell, I'm particularly fond of flash paper. There's little need for a fireproof container, there's no ash to contend with, and you don't even have to disable your smoke detector! However, please be sure to follow all safety guidelines associated with burning objects (including candles!). That is, do have a fireproof container, a means to extinguish fire mishaps, and don't leave anything burning unattended!

Now that you're all set up, let's cast!

Casting the Spell:

Set up a space where you will be undisturbed for at least 15 minutes. If you use magickal circles in your work, you might wish to cast one at this point. You may set the mood with music, incense, candles or whatever you desire. What is important is that your surroundings feel safe and magickal. If you‚re at the Conclave, of course, that will be done with others around the campfire.

Hold the wood/paper between your palms. Focus on the intent within your hands. You have the ability to bring this to fruition. Visualize clearly this intent coming into being using all of your senses. What will it look like? How will you feel when it is done? Include even how it might smell and taste!

Direct all of your energy into the object in your hands. It is a physical manifestation of your intent. While you are charging this, it might be helpful to include a little chant. I can be anything, really. Perhaps something like this:

A bit of magick within my hands

To give to the Wizard's School.

I send to the flames of our gathering,

To make this dream come true!

When youve charged the wood/paper as much as you can, cast it in the fire to release the energy that you‚ve built up into it. If you're using the above chant, you might want to throw it into the fire on the third line and watch it hit the flames on the last line.

Now, cleanse and clear in whatever way you deem appropriate and sit down before the candle/fire. Have a bit of a conversation and make plans as to what you're going to do in order to help bring your intent to fruition. After all, magick needs a bit of mundane activity as well.

* * * * * * *

Many awards were given out. Some of the most special were Kalla receiving her Captain’s badge and the induction of six new members of Ordo Erronum, a campcraft, participation, service, and spirit honorary. Those inducted were Aaran, Aurora1, Desert Thunderstorm, Kalla, Treeotter, and Willow Silverhawk. At right (in a photo taken the next mornng), Lodge Captain Aaran models the GSW Penhaduce necklace, the Ordo Erronum amulet bag, and the GSW Captain's badge.

Leigha and Gallie did a shamanic dance at the Saturday campfire. (Note Moonwriter’s cauldron, full of bubbling peach cobbler-- everyone brought dessert to the campfire too share.)

It was a gorgeous, memorable campfire!

15. Saturday, July 22, 2006: Bigfoot Lecture and Star Study

2006-08-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

Our guest lecturer presented a campfire chat on “Bigfoot,” an inhabitant of the Oregon and Washington Cascades.

He got the audience’s attention with an unexpected series of “Bigfoot calls.”

Jason and April (right) left Conclave after lunch, and within an hour of April’s (and her magickal cooling charm’s) departure, the clouds lifted and clear skies (and heat!) returned. This gave us a hot but wonderful final night for star study.

Participating in star study were Moonwriter, Kalla, Aaran, Cate, Lyonscribe, Watermusic, and Oranstar. We watched and plotted many stars in the night sky, which was blessedly dark with a new moon to come less than 48 hours later. Also, in less than an hour we spotted some 10 shooting stars and watching 6 satellite transits. The sky was so dark that we could literally see the Milky Way spilling overhead.

16. Sunday, July 23, 2006: Final gathering

2006-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

A final circle of remembrance.

Each person scooped up some of the campfire ashes. They will use these to kindle their own future fires, and by doing so, will take the magick of all of the past fires along with them.

Desert, James, and WillowRune signing yearbooks… erm… Grimoires. In the foreground is Starlion Redmane's pile of books, from Oranstar's Bookcrossing corner.

More signings, huggings, and wishes for safe travel....

Members of the Earth/Stones gather together, hating to leave. (l-r, standing: Mary Lee, Gallie, Moonwriter, Kalla, Oranstar, Aaran; kneeling: Desert Thunderstorm.)

Looking out across the empty meadow…. Plans are already being discussed for next year’s event.

We have shared the weather,
We have slumbered side by side,
And friends who have camped together,
Shall never again divide.

MG & OZ' new granddaughter!

2006-07-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to wee Allisandra, new grandaughter of Oberon and Morning Glory!

MG and baby....

And a proud Grandpa!

Not above you,
Nor below you,
But within you....

Samples of Student Work- July 06

2006-07-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Above: First Aid kit completed by GSW Third Year, Dark Eagle (Undines House) for the "Wizardly First Aid and Safety" class. (Posted with permission)

Above: The working herbal cabinet of GSW First Year, Nefabit (Salamanders House). This was submitted for an assignment in the herbology lesson of "Introduction to Magickal Healing." (Posted with permission)

Above: Theban alphabet, submitted by GSW Second Year Xander (Stones Lodge) for the "Staff and Scroll" class. Xander's explanation:

"Also called 'Honorian' after it's inventor Honorius III (1216-1227), this is probably the most popular magick script used, even today. In fact, it is commonly called 'The Witches Alphabet.' I think it should more correctly be known as the 'Wizards Alphabet.' I was struck by the variety of both smooth and straight linework, but also the thick/thin factor. It really challenges the rules of type design, but within that it possesses an interesting flow--especially when treated with a calligraphic touch (changing the baseline, blending some together, etc.)."

Xander invites readers to decipher the coded message underneath the font "keyboard." (Posted with permission)

Conclave 2006: T-minus 10 days and counting....

2006-07-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

On July 9, Bill and I drove out to Silver Falls State Park to check out the Conclave site for ourselves.

Silver Falls SP is in the foothills of the Cascade Range. Our group camp is at about 1400 feet. The site is mostly shaded by big Douglas-firs, and has a (non-dusty!) dirt-and-needle surface; we have a big grassy field available for playing. Below are a few images that not only show the park’s beauty but also will give you a look at where we’ll be camping.

Above is a look into Tent Site B (one of our two group sites). The sites are HUGE! Rather than distinctly separate tent sites, there are large spaces, allowing Conclavians to pitch camp pretty much wherever they wish. Fire pits are scattered around, and water and trash are nearby (we also have our own recycling station). Picnic tables are all over the sites and can be moved as needed. The campsites are well off the road and very, very quiet. We’re also well away from any water, which should keep the mosquitoes at a minimum.

Here’s our Day Lodge, which is next door to Group site B. This is where the closest bathroom is, too! The other bathroom is a short walk down the camp road, within eyesight of Group Site A. We peered in the Lodge windows (it was locked) and found tables, chairs, and a fireplace with a huge stack of firewood.

This is the forest as seen from behind the Day Lodge. It’s a typical Cascades Doug-fir and hemlock forest, with understories of ferns, salal, and vine maple. It smells amazing!

And here are the trees, if you tip your head back!

A path leads down the hill to Silver Falls Canyon and the loop trail. Our group hike will be a little short of 5 miles; any intrepid souls who want to do the whole 8.7 miles could start and stop from camp, via this trail.

Here is a picture of North Falls, seen from the highway overlook. Our hike will take us past this falls at close range.

Getting excited!

Elemental Gardening 401- Air and Fire

2006-07-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

Each plant has a magical resonance associating it with a particular Element. An Elemental garden presents a collection of plants all relating to the same Element, along with decorations that support the theme. In this Class, you will learn about Air gardens and Fire gardens. Expect this to take 2-3 months. You need a bit of outdoor space to grow one modest-sized garden (you may choose which Element to cultivate), suitable gardening tools, and a camera (digital, or film and a scanner) to take snapshots.

For this class, I've already begun a "fire garden" for the back, south-facing deck. I started near the end of June; here are some photos tracking my progress.

This picture shows the empty corner on my deck. My plan was to fill it with plants that both referenced the fire element (heat, passion, etc.) and also could withstand the fire-like heat of this deck, which generally runs about 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. I also wanted to make the deck a pleasant place to sit in the evenings. Note the pot with a winter-damaged azalea (half of it was killed by our severe cold snap in February) and a volunteer sunflower.

This pot once held a nice kitchen garden; all that was left when I started was an overgrown, woody rosemary plant, some dead stems, and weeds. It was in a great pot, though. My plan was to dig out the old roots, add fresh soil, trim back the rosemary, and plant new herbs.

Here’s my potting bench, loaded down with herbs and dirt, ready to plant the kitchen garden.

Here’s the pot with the roots all dug out and rosemary whacked back and fresh soil and food worked in.

As of July 8, this was the newly-planted kitchen garden. The rosemary was trimmed way back, and I added small basil, parsley, thyme, and sage starts.

Here is the same pot on July 31. You can see how the herbs have taken off! In fact, I’ve already cut back the basil and parsley twice. My kitchen is 10 feet away, and I use these herbs in my everyday cooking. I’ve even made a batch of pesto. Here’s my favorite pesto recipe:

Moonwriter's Pesto

In a food processor, combine until finely chopped:
2 T. pine nuts
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/4 C. loosely packed fresh basil leaves
4 ounces grated Parmesan-Regianno cheese

Drizzle in 1/2 C. high-quality olive oil in a show stream. Blend until smooth. The pesto should be a very soft, amost fluid solid-- add a bit more oil if needed.

Season with sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and serve over hot pasta. Pass additional cheese.

(This recipe makes enough to serve 4-6 people. It also freezes beautifully!)

And here's the pot on August 12:

Back when I started this project, I went to my favorite local nursery and bought a few plants (names to be supplied later), then brought them up to the deck where they could hang out in their little nursery pots and acclimatize to the artificial climate. I let them sit like this for about a week before potting them up. In the meantime, I made a kind of arrangement out of them, so they’d at least look pretty. This is how they looked in their rough, pre-potted state:

Note the sun plaque hanging on the deck—I found it under the potting bench—had forgotten about it. A perfect addition to a fire garden!

This shows the results of transplanting the nursery-pack flowers mix-and-match fashion into various pots on July 2. All of the pots were those I had sitting around—I couldn’t afford new ones. The tiny pot in the foreground holds a tree seedling that I found growing as a volunteer in a cast-aside pot. I have a great soft spot for the tenacity of plant volunteers, so I carefully moved it into its own pot with fresh new potting soil. 'Might be able to make a bonsai out of it.

The pink petunia in the right foreground was a survivor from last year. It somehow managed to overwinter through our Artic February, and looked pretty scraggly. But I trimmed it back and I think it will come out all right.

At right is a special flower that I bought at our Farmer’s Market specifically for the fire garden. Its flowers reminded me of flames. Details to follow.

The same day that I planted the pots, I was looking at them from my kitchen window and saw a brilliant green Anna’s hummingbird flitting from flower to flower! An unexpected gift. I took this “hummer view” (above) of what the flowers must have looked like to the tiny bird.

Over the next few weeks, I allowed the pots to acclimate, giving them lots of water and regular doses of liquid plant food. Note also that this included helping them through two intensely hot periods, with several days of 100 (or higher) temps--which meant it was pushing 120 degrees on the deck! Above is a picture taken today (July 31), showing how much the pots have filled out.

Below is my Meyer lemon tree, which I’ve had for a few years. You can see four lemons in the center of the image. I pruned it back about a month ago; now its sending out new growth and new blossoms-- more lemons!

On July 28, I went to Lowes and spent $20 on a three-tiered plant stand I’d seen there a couple of weeks ago. I figured it would help add some vertical “lift” to the garden and would help me display the plants to their best advantage. I also bought a potted sunflower and some wine-red snapdragons, all of which were on sale. There isn’t anything sunnier or summerier than a sunflower, si? Ditto for snapdragons, which would also add fiery spikes to the display.

Today—July 31—I decided to “assemble” the garden. It took me about an hour to arrange everything, and I’m very pleased with how it worked out. The garden is in a sort of open triangle—very flame-like. In fact, it makes a triangle that, with the help of the plant stand, points up, which mimics the elemental symbol for fire (right). The triangle also evokes the trinity of womanly magick (maiden-mother-crone) which makes me happy.

Below is a close-up of the bottom tier of the plant stand, with a cactus, blood sorrel (tasty in salads!), and a fertility statue that a Pagan friend gave me from a trip to central America. With three kids, I’ve been fertile enough, thanks, but fertility and sex and passion seem like good things to include in a fire garden.

Here’s the middle tier. Front and center is the little volunteer tree—I think it’s a pine. Back, l-r: cyclamen, a cactus, and a plam.

Top tier: A small red hybrid petunia and a wine-red snapdragon, with a small bee skep alongside. (Bees are fiery, right?) Sitting at the very top is the potted sunflower I bought at Lowes. I liked the idea of having the SUNflower at the peak of the display. Like the sun. You know, the sun? Oh, never mind. I used twine to tie it to the deck post so that it couldn’t fall off.

All of the pots either have self-watering trays or are sitting in their own little trays. This helps conserve water in the high temperatures of the deck. In the plant stand, it also keep water from dripping onto the cactuses from the upper tier plants. Many of these plants--the lemon, the sorrel, the cacti, the rosemary, the azalea--are perennials, but even these plants need extra water in the extremely hot environment of my back deck. The annuals are even more fragile. Xeriscaping, a technique I use in my yard, doesn't hold up well on the desk.

By the way--I learned something new: the xeriscaping movement has its own logo (left). Actually, the logo and the word "xeriscaping" are registered trademarks of the Denver Water, the City of Denver's Water Department! Who'd guess?

Below is the left-arm grouping. I still need to repot the yellow mum in the left foreground. Also, in the round pot is a wildflower mix that came from a Tori Amos CD, i.e., "Beekeeper mix." The white rock in the foreground is a piece of quartz from Death Valley National Park-- my mom picked it up a few years ago when she was there. (Which you're not supposed to do, but it's pretty cool to have a chunk of Death Valley in your fire garden!)

Here's the right-arm grouping. Details on the component plants later. Note the metal-and-glass butterfly "sculpture" in the upper left, also shown here at right.

I also installed some lights: two sets of Japanese lantern-style balls and one set of white icicle lights that I dug out of the Yule boxes. (Note that we have installed posts on the deck corners, for installing lights, flags, wind chimes, etc.)

Here’s a shot of the lights at night, hanging over the garden.

The whole experiment has been really interesting. I'm a gardener from way back, but I don't usually devote myself to an intensely-themed project like this. The act of planting a Fire Garden, and of thinking about the correspondences in every aspect of planning has taught me a lot. I'm already enjoying sitting out gazing at this garden, watching it grow and change. Pretty cool. (pun intended!)

August 2, 2006: The garden on Lughnasadh....

The garden on August 12 (the astilbe are pumping out flowers, and the salvia-- after I cut them back-- are preparing to set a new set of blooms!):

And an August 12 close-up of some of the blossoms on my lemon:

And, the symbol of my fire garden--the sunflower. (The vivid, blood-red snapdragons just below it aren't so bad, either!)

The garden on August 19, below (two images). Everything is thriving. The salvia, which I cut back about three weeks ago and didn't know if they'd rebloom, are sending forth new bloom--about three times the bloom they had in the first place!

Here's my view of the garden through my kitchen window:

Here's the garden on August 26, exploding in bloom:

I've learned a lot about pruning. All of these flowers have responded to careful pruning by putting out even more blossoms. Notice in the August 26 shots how the salvia have returned! they're sending out brilliant red spikes of flowers--very fiery!

Notice anything new? At the crux of the "V" is a small fountain!

Bill and I were installing a different water feature in the side yard, and found ourselves with an extra pump and now use for it. I thought it would be lovely to add a small water feature to my fire garden-- not onyl for aesthetics but to sort of balance the heat off the fire. We went to Lowes and Bill bought me a beautiful red ceramic pot, to blend in with the fire garden. At home, we added a clay flowerpot (set upside down over the pump, on the bottom of the red clay pot) and some river rocks, and voila! At left is a closer view. August 31, 2006. The last day of August seems a fitting date to bring my comments about this garden to their formal end.

What fun it's been! The garden attracts wildlife. Hummingbirds visit the garden throughout the day, and goldfinches drop by to check out the "readiness" of the ripening sunflower heads. Honey- and mason bees bumble and buzz along the garden blossoms and those of the nearby star jasmine (on the opposite side of the deck). I've seen butterflies visiting, too, and now that we have the fountain, wasps stop on its edge to sip water.

Below is a picture of the garden on a sunny afternoon--lush and exuberant! The salvia have returned, and everything else is thriving.

I haven't lost any plants, and have--in fact--had to repeatedly cut them back so that they wouldn't take over the deck. Of course, pruning has its own rewards: bushier plants, vases of flowers, and herbs to add to the evening meal.

I am finding that I love to sit out and gaze upon this little garden. It's become a lovely oasis, a place to have my morning coffee, or meditate, or write, or just do nothing. The water has added another lovely dimension. The plants are a growing manifestation of Earth. And to bring in "air" in a conscious way, I added a small wind bell chime to the roof's edge.

I am grateful for Professor Barrette writing and teaching this class, because I don't think I would have put the garden together to this extent without the motivation of the class. I plan for it to be a permanent summer fixture!

Elemental Gardening 402- Earth, Water, and Spirit

2006-07-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

Each plant has a magical resonance associating it with a particular Element. An Elemental garden presents a collection of plants all relating to the same Element, along with decorations that support the theme. In this Class, you will learn about Water, Earth, and Spirit gardens. You need a bit of outdoor space to grow one modest-sized garden (you may choose which Element to cultivate), suitable gardening tools, and a camera to take snapshots.

For this garden, I'll be installing a spiral labyrinth in the side yard.

GM 101- Class Materials

2006-07-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Above: Green altar submitted by Nefabit, for "Green Magick 101."

Nefabit writes:

"I decided I would like to keep my altar simple. Cluttered altars get on my nerves. For instance, my main altar, which is in my room, simply has two candles (of color corresponding to my goals or emotions of the time) an offering plate, a dragon statue and elemental representations. So I thought about what I wanted to do for the green one. I know I wanted it to be outside, and that made some restrictions. I can't have anything that will blow away (we always have high winds here) or be damaged by rain and sun. So that required something even more simple. So I started by going out back and finding one of the flat volcanic rocks that was in our garden. I found a nice one that was about ten inches across, and then selected four smaller ones. I got my colored pencils (they are waterproof) and drew the symbol my Mom and I have come up with, that is waaaay to intricate and involved to even begin to describe here. Then I drew elemental symbols on the smaller ones, and placed them around the main altar. I decided to place the setup on the side of my house near my garden. (Which is very small - just potatoes, tomatoes, nasturtiums and dill) The place was sheltered and shady, and so served as a good place to setup. I may add more to it later. For instance, if I find a nice branchy stick, I may stick it in the ground and decorate it with seasonal objects. I'll look for one today before I take the picture to send to Professor Moonwriter. ^_^ "

Symbols for the Earth element (below):

Symbol of the Air element (below):

Symbol of the Fire element (below

Symbol for the Water element (below):

Symbol for infinity:

Symbol for yin-yang:

GM 202- Class materials

2006-07-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Above: the mid-ocean ridge (shown in red) winds its way between the continents and covers much of the globe.

3D view of the topography of the mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Mt. Everest (the tall mountain in the center background; the tall peak to the right is Nuptse).

Scheme of the Hawaiian Islands, rising from beneath the seafloor.

The Olympus Mons volcano, located on the planet Mars.

Image of the base of a California coastal Redwood, taken in 1890.

The Yggdrasil tree, from Norse mythology.

Growing an avocado tree.