and it's smooth sailing...Odoia Iemanja!

Since my godfather has more time these days, we have been having a misa/party for the orixas and egun every weekend. The one for Oxum last week was particularly cleansing and invigorating. This week, we are having one for Iemanja. Iemanja is celebrated on Dec 31st in Brazil. The beaches are crowded with devotees who make small boats filled with offerings to honor the Mother of the Waters. I like to call Iemanja, Miss 11:59 because she is the orixa who seems to bring in sudden change, at the last minute, and turns the situation around 360. She changes the tide, the current, and life becomes better. Where before there was a desert of despair, her waters wash away the sorrow and bring forth a garden of joy. So it is fitting that she is honored at midnight, on New Year's Eve/Day when the old year vanishes and a new one begins. Exu closes the doors to the past and opens the doors to the future.

I have a new godson too these days and my other goddaughter also visits from time to time. I am currently working through a training in Francisca de Grandis' 3rd Road Wicca tradition.

There appears to be a lot of new opportunities on the horizon, new love, prosperity, new direction. I hope you all are blessed with love, health, prosperity, and serenity in 2011. Ashe.

La Magia

Whilst walking around my town, I noticed the beauty of the autumn leaves. They sounded crisp under my feet. Beautiful reds, oranges and yellows. I thought to myself that even though I am initiated as a priest of the orisha, by my ancestral blood I have ties to witchcraft and paganism. It speaks to a different part of my soul. There are similarities of course, there are similarities between many religions and spiritual traditions, yet they are different. I thought of the New Moon tomorrow and the magic and hope that it always brings. Sometimes I think in this chaotic and often brutal world we live in, the world could use a bit more magic, a bit more wonder. It's there, maybe we just get too caught up to see it. That feeling of hope despite when things seem to be closing in all around you, the belief that you can shape and breath life into your very dreams. It's the green grass and the glorious Full Moon in the sky. It's the snow in wintertime and the balmy breezes of summer. It's the kiss on a first date under a starlit sky.
I was thinking of my life a year ago and how different it is today. I still struggle with many difficulties but I feel so much more stronger and better equipped to deal with these challenges. No matter what I feel held in the arms of God, and Her arms are always wrapped around me.
Blessed Be.

Happy Lammas

Happy Lammas.
Today I danced for the Goddess and God and it felt like they were dancing with me to Loreena Mckennit. I feel blessed and joyous. Today is a day of gratitude and thanksgiving for the many gifts and blessings in my life.

Completed Spritual Training

I have been training in a course as outlined in Francesca de Grandis' book, Be A Goddess. It is a 15 work course but due to my busy schedule and my duties as an initiate of Candomble, it took me about 6 months rather than three. I'm good with it because we learn on our own pace. Also I finished at a good time, when I feel things are finally starting to turn around for the better in my life. I started this course at the end of January and finished yesterday. So I celebrated by doing two of the rituals in the book, the Honor Candle and Becoming the Goddess.
Francesca de Grandis is an initiate of the Feri tradition of Witchcraft as well as the founder of her own branch of Feri Shamanism, the Third Road®. She also has another book called Goddess Initiation, which I also have and is a one year course of study. I think I am going to hold off on that one for a while as I am preparing for my four year birthday in orisha this month. I think my next course of study is to study the Tarot more intently using this one particular book I own. I highly recommend Francesca's books and her training programs.
Her website is Shamanic Training
Blessed Be!