The seduction of the season

You feel it, tugging at your hem... it's not just the fallen, leafless branch on the sidewalk.
It's there, on your shoulder... no, not just the leaves in the oranges and reds of their slow deaths.
It's in the air in your lungs... and it's not just the sharp cold that underlies every movement outdoors and then scurries inside behind you to hide in the corners of your house.

It's the spirits.

You hear it. You feel it. We all do - we're witches.

~~
The blog name, Musings of a Kitchen Druid, really did come from the nickname my friends had for me. I wasn't quite a Druid and I wasn't quite a Kitchen Witch. I was somewhere in the middle. I was young in my practice and it was all perfect and new and I had NO idea what I was doing. But I could see my path and it was wonderful. It was home.

Fast forward a few years, past many successful and many, many more unsuccessful holy day rites and across a thousand late night conversations and early morning whispers... and my path was far more clear to me. It was easier to see the turning of the Wheel. I didn't need a calendar to tell me what holy day was coming. My books were references when I was tired or didn't feel like recalling it. It was so very nice. That's when I started writing this blog.

Then I was struck by lightning. Or at least it felt like that. It was a bonfire and I was standing in the middle. And when I finally came out the other side, a year and a half later, I was scorched but knew all that I didn't need was gone. It was quite liberating. I started on my path anew, and KNEW (the way you do when the clue by four hits) who I was and what I was doing. My path was now burned into my skin.

The holy days come now and I don't feel rushed by them anymore. They come and I welcome them as an old friend - you know the ones, those who can let themselves into your house, start a pot of tea and be sitting down with that box of cookies you've been saving before you're even downstairs to greet them. They're so close they're family. My path is never hidden from me these days. It's taken me some time to come to this, and in the emotional turmoil over the last year it's been harder, but as I come out the other side of all this I realize that my path is there to steady me, there to guide me. Your path is a touchstone.

My wish for you this Samhain is simple - I hope your path becomes clear to you.

Blessed Samhain!

But it was supposed to be...

If anything in my life could ever have been summed up, or ever could be summed up, by one phrase... well, that'd have to be it.

My coworkers are living this today - it was supposed to be close to 80 here... "a beach day" one of the local weathermen said. They're all sad that it's not even 70 outside and very overcast. I'm not - I love overcast weather and if ever there was a time for it, it'd be now when the veil thins and we all look to the shadows for answers.

Personal tragedy came again last night too - no one is dead, but there is pain and healing that needs to happen and it will take a very long time. She's not out of the woods, and she never really will be. I pray for something that will help her heal, learn, grow. I don't know that we'll get that. I know we won't stop offering her our love and support and help.

There are a lot of things that were supposed to be. There are a lot of things that are supposed to be. None of them were or are certain. No, that's not meant to be comforting. Things like this never are.

~~~
As we spend the next few weeks looking into the dark, looking to the fading Moon, and looking into the flames of our fires, think about what you thought was supposed to happen and if it did or not. And if not, think about why. Ask you ancestors for help in deciphering the meaning there and see if there are lessons you needed to learn.

and Breathe.

The crunch of leaves and the scent of cold - Remember

My favorite season has begun. Mums are *everywhere*, the leaves are turning to their brilliant oranges and reds and yellows, pumpkin has invaded everything, the apple cider diehards are fighting the good fight for seasonal flavor dominance... it's a magical time. ;)

It is though - it's one of those points in time that I just know things are working as I draw a circle or stir the stockpot. It's also the time of year to remember a few really important things.

So, here's a list of things I remind myself of this time of year:
- no matter what I do, all the intention in the world won't work without action.
- just because I can doesn't mean I should.
- our ancestors are there to help, not to do it for us.

~~~~
It's easy this time of year to get swept up in the craziness. It's really really easy to lose sight of people being helpful and instead just see the inconvenience.

It's not always about you.

As the leaves change and the air cools and the house dries out from use of the heater remember - be helpful if you know that's what the person wants.

Take deep breaths.

Mostly, just take deep breaths and remember. That's what this time is about. Remembering.