Greetings on this fine eve of eclipsed full moon!

I have started another journal for this year, and I got a red covered one this time. I thought that would fire up the writing process, yes? I have been fairly regularly writing there, for now anyway. Brighid bless!

I have so many journals and notebooks going, its a little ridiculous. One large sketchbook for tarot info, spreads, and hand drawn illustrations, ever ongoing....a bursting poetry binder....the regular journal for daily stuff, dreams, readings, definantly rants and ramblings... I used to keep a solitary eclectic wiccan book of shadows, but I am redefining my spirituality, and practices, and have retired, but kept, the book. I used to keep other types of journals, but it has gotten excessive already I think, so I am keeping it simpler these days. Well, trying to. It evolves. Do you keep a journal of some kind friends, other than this? :)

One of the discussion groups I participate in is meeting soon, and our next topic is crystals and gemstones. I wanted to take some of mine along, but most are packed away still at my inlaws since we moved. I hope to maybe make some trades, but show and tell atleast will be fun too. I think there are some rock shows in town coming soon, hope to catch some of those. Ive been trying to be more aware about how stones are taken from the earth, and its hard to know in some stores.

Im curious if anyone else uses stones and crystals in their magic, such a simple but powerful magic it is, and what are your favorites? How do you use them? I personally adore clear quartz, amethyst, malachite (but dont have any!), garnet, rose quartz, tigers-eye, oh etc...I am a rockhound for sure. Ive found that malachite and rose quartz together have a lovely (so to speak) energy. I wonder how garnet and tigers-eye would feel together, hm. I wear a faceted amethyst ring in silver and a moonstone ring in silver frequently. I think gemstones are a part of almost every magic I do, and I atleast honor them as the deeply sacred things that they are to me.

I was thinking earlier that the eclipsed moon had a garnet tone to it.

Just some rambling...

Hope this finds you all quite well and happy and healthy and prosperous!

Peace and Hugs,

Eala

Well, long time, no type, but here I am for a brief update.

Been without the internet, as you may have guessed. We moved (goodbye to that slum and the lord who ruled it!). We are with roommates again, eh. But we have usage of an internet connection, atleast occasionally, yea! Im still working p/t, hubbie is (sort of) looking...wish I could motivate him more, but I have a couple others now to help me "nag and bitch" at him about it. Errrrr. Some dudes.

Tommorrow is our 3rd Wedding Anniversary, six years together. We have been unsure the last year if we were even going to stay together, financial circumstances getting in the way, all the little crap adding up too, hurtful things have been said. But I am sure of one thing, the love is still there...and for whatever that is worth, I am content for the moment, and grateful.

It sure seems to be a Wheel of Fortune year so far! I look forward to talking to you guys very soon hopefully, and I missed you all...been having withdrawals!

Much Love,

 Eala (the Hugger)

What started as an art project in the form of collage, and a way to reuse old catalogs and magazines, has become quite the fine personal Oracle deck....is still in the process of becoming I should say. The idea was to create temples/shrines/altars to a God or Goddess on each card, basically. Some of the deities are Pele surrounded by lava and flowers; Merlin in his crystal cave; Venus of Willendorf with her spheres, spirals, eggs and orange flowers; Venus with pearls, roses and rose quartz in the ocean; Buddha in a zen sand garden, with stones and sand mandala; Ganesha on lavendar with elephant tapestries and a lotus candle. Others are Kwan Yin, Isis, Hathor, Ariadne, Freya, Hera, Pan, Frey, Odin, Sarasvati, Apollo, Ariadia, the Morrigan, Loki, Inanna, Shiva, Kali, Bacchus, Mars, Astarte, Cernunnos, etc., etc. I want to make as many cards as I can find deity images for...so this could go on for awhile. Of course I have to do one for Brighid, but havent been brave enough yet. I am looking forward to using them. There are a few pictures on the Tarot Coven photos, but some have been changed or added to since. Something to work on now that my computer has passed on. I hope to share more with you in the future, but for now, back to it and watching Jane Eyre on PBS.

Have a good one,

Eala

I havent been on a few days because the hard drive in my computer finally croaked, and I am back to sharing one computer with my husband...and we dont share the computer that well. I am really bummed out...I do ALOT of things on the computer and had some things that I lost like several poems I was working on, plus the BOS I was keeping on the computer (no worries, I have a handwritten one too). My pics, gone. My Orphalese program, gone. My movies, music, bookmarks, gone, gone, gone. You would think I was smart and back up all that stuff, but I did not. A friend says he may have another hard drive for cheap, and may be able to retrieve some info off of the old one, maybe. So, I may be on sporatically, but I am still around. Hope all is working out better for everyone else. 

Peace and Hugs Friends,

 Eala 

I welcome 2008! With my heart wide open, I enter the New Year ready and unafraid. I do not plan on setting soon-to-be forgotten resolutions, but realistic goals. I have been considering what those may be but admit that I have not yet narrowed my focus on any one thing. For now, I am excited to ponder the possibilities of what could be, and soon form my plan.

The Tarot Year Card for 2008 is The Wheel, which indicates by name alone, major changes in the coming year. My personal Year Card for 2008 is The Hierophant (#5), reflecting opportunities of learning and teaching, and I am passing out of an Emperor (#4) year. Whatever happens, I know that I must be stronger than I have been before.

I am spending my New Year's Eve here: http://www.firstnightspokane.org/index.php

representing The Adrian Empire (medieval reenactment group) and doing free mini Tarot readings all evening with my Knight, Rani Lily. There will be combat and blacksmithing as part of our demo as well. Im looking forward to it, yet incredibly nervous. It promises to be a busy event, weather permitting or not. I cannot think though of a better way to spend New Year's than with good Adrian friends, and thousands of strangers. :)

I hope everyone has a safe and happy celebration, and blessing on us all!

Don't forget to kiss someone at midnight...kiss, kiss,

Eala