Prep week!!

It's Samhain week! Lots and lots to be done. 3/4ths of my coven will be together for this year's Samhain. There will be a huge feast, Daddy and his father will be taking the boys trick or treating this year while the women and I clean up and prep for our nightly activities. 

For those of you who don't know, Samhain (pronounced Sow-en) is the biggest sabbat for us. It's the pagan new year. Also, it is the time of year when the veil between the worlds are the thinnest. Chances are, if you feel someone behind you, you aren't imagining it. It's the best time for divination and communicating with those who've passed. It's a time to honor your ancestors and those who have come before you to create the being you are today. 

Needless to say, I also use this time to do a healthy amount of cleaning, renewing energies, and wards. This year will be different for me. Usually I work with my children. It will be nice to work with my covenmates. I wish we could all be together, but funds just don't work out all the time. 


There will be no more posts until after Samhain has passed. But I wanted to wish all of you a very blessed and very safe Samhain!

Brightest Blessings!
        )O(

Fights, Struggles, and Conundrums

I've been re-reading a lot of my posts lately and if you don't know me and just take my blog as a representation of my entire life, it kind of sounds like I'm a real-life June Cleaver. Well, I'm here to dispel that fantasy. There are many trials and tribulations that I go through on almost a daily basis. Not all of them, but a good amount.

Fights...

Between me and my kids. Yup, it happens. I'm a homeschooling mother. I hear, everyday, how stupid a subject is, how dumb an assignment is, and why there is no point to learning something. Oh yea... it happens all the time! Why chores are dumb.... you name it. There are daily disputes. 

The two year old is slightly simpler in demands. More cookies, more toys, no naps, ect. Simpler arguments, far more stubborn, and just as irritating! There are days I truly feel like just pulling out my hair or hiding in the closet because it becomes overwhelming. 

It's not just me, I know tons of stay at home moms who experience the same thing. I get asked all the time how I handle it, how I deal. There are days, I have a real hard time. But when it really comes down to it, I'd much rather deal with the arguing and tears (sometimes my own) than be anywhere else. Being a mom is NOT easy. But it is the most rewarding thing in the world.

Between my husband and I. Oh yea, we have our fights too. They aren't very often, nor do they last long. We have an agreement to never go to bed angry. We work things out before taking it to bed. But we do NOT agree on everything all the time. Think about it, you couldn't live with your best friend everyday without getting into a fight. It doesn't mean we have an unhealthy relationship. We don't scream at each other (usually). We do not resort to name calling or low blows. Together we have worked out the best way for us to communicate even when we are having some of the worst fights. I know where his limits are, and he knows mine. At the end of the day it comes down to something very simple, we would rather fight it out together than be apart. 



Struggles...

On the daily...
I have an autoimmune disease that I fight daily and a mental disorder that I refuse to let define me. Everyday can be a struggle, between getting out of bed, the pain I go through, and functioning like a normal adult. It's difficult. But I refuse to give up or give in. I have a wonderful support system that helps me deal, cope, and helps heal me when I need it. 

Money...
Yea, we have to be strict with our budget and sometimes have to go without the things we really want but don't need. It can be a juggling act at times. But we do our best and get by the best we can. I recently went back to work to so hopefully that helps us out a bit. 


Conundrums...

There are always little things that come up that we don't always have an answer too. Sometimes, we just don't have all the answers. And that is OK too. We work it out the best we can, whether the outcome is good, bad, or ugly, but always as a family. 

We are NOT the perfect family, I lose my cool, our kids don't always listen, and Daddy can lose his temper. But at the end of the day, everyone knows they are loved. That is good enough for us. 


Brightest Blessings
        )O(

10th and Final Traveling Companion

We've reached the end of our Traveling Companions...

To recap really quick there has been:

1. Confidence
2. Patience
3. An Adjustable Attitude
4. Beauty
5. Excitement
6. Fun
7. Companionship
8. Health
9. Peace

And finally, and hopefully obviously, the 10th companion is Love.

Love: pure and unconditional.

I'm not just talking a romantic type love but a love for life itself. A love that touches not just you, or those around you, but the world around you. (I'm going to sound like a hippie for about 10 minutes, fair warning)

This type love NEEDS to be unconditional. It truly is what will heal the problems around us. When we purely love the environment, not just live in it, will be when humanity will be able to see the real problems that the planet is facing and will be able to correct it. When we truly love ourselves, we will no longer have the need to force ourselves into fitting into these outrageous standards of what should or shouldn't be. Then we will be able to unconditionally love those around us. 

I am not saying that that type love does not exist yet. It does. Watch the way a mother looks at her children when they aren't paying attention. Make sure to not scroll past the news features of someone putting their own life at risk for a complete stranger. That right there is a love for humanity. Even animals, dogs rescuing masters or children, experience that love. In my opinion more so than humans because they are not tainted by a selfish society the way mankind is. 

We need to get back to the time when a neighbor reached out and helped their neighbors/community. Many people search and long for that sense of community nowadays because it is severely lacking in today's world. They search it out on social media. True, there are many bonuses to social media, the fact that you are reading this is one of them. However, we as a people need a more hands on approach. Not just to remind ourselves what true and real love really is, but to remind others as well.

Brightest Blessings
       )O(

9th Traveling Companion

With only one more companion to go we move on to number 9...

Peace: with others, yourself, and in your environment.

Talk about a doosy!! This has to be one of the hardest ones we've come across so far. Finding peace in all three of those places is not only a constant task, but it is also a nearly impossible one. If you do happen to stumble across it, I dare say, you have reached Buddha status!

But let's break it down. To find peace with others, what would need to be accomplished? Perhaps that old grudge needs to be let go of (I'm horribly guilty of that, myself). Maybe you need to reach out to an old friend and find closure or let go of a negative of harmful relationship. It might even be more simple, just smile when you pass a stranger in the mall and create that small bubble of peace between you for even the briefest of moments.

That leads me to peace in our environment. Of course you are not always going to be able to live in a spa-zen like state bubble. Helllllllo real world! We live in the world of rush rush rush, instant gratification, and fast food restaurants! Again, there are things you can do to de-stress-ify and mellow out your own space though. De-clutter. Honestly, clutter (for whatever reason) amps up our stress levels. Try to take 5 minutes out of your day to straighten your living space. Surround yourself with people who lower your stress level rather than amp you up. Find the joy in just existing where you are. Yes, even if you are at work....some aren't that lucky.

Lastly, and most difficult in my opinion, find peace with yourself. You are who you are. In this life you have been given one body, one personality, one shot at living. Make the most of it. Every single thing that happens to this body is a direct result of a choice that you have made. Own and accept it. Flaws, mistakes, and all. We learn from the bad, as well as the good. The few things that are completely out of our control are meant to teach us and make us stronger. When we finally embrace the whole of our being....that is when we find peace in and with ourselves.

Brightest Blessings
       )O(

8th Traveling Companion

Health: Mental, Physical, and Emotional.

All three of the individual aspects of health contribute to the overall health of a person. In my opinion, it is impossible to have one without the other two.

I'm not saying go out and starting running marathons and eating nothing but Kale and Oranges. I am huge fan of Hostess myself. Everything in moderation, though. There is no need for 9 cupcakes. 

Spirituality is a way to help people keep there mental and emotional states in check. Even so, there are still times when therapy can help.

Friends and community also can play a major role in the health of a person, both in a good and bad way. Many times we surround ourselves with people who we think are good for us, but if truth be faced they are quite the opposite. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to surround ourselves with good people. People who support us and our health.

How many times have you found that you a negative person in your company brings your attitude or thought process into the gutter with them? How often is the opposite true? What other ways is our health affected by the environment around us?

A lot of people, especially long time married couples, tend to forget how important sexual health is as well. Not just for you as a person, but for your relationship too. My grandparents have been HAPPILY married for over 64 years. I asked my grandmother one day what made them so successful where so many other marriages fell apart or you see the old couples who either don't speak or hate each other. She told me, mind you we have a very open family, that they never went to bed angry and they made time for sex. 

Now, when I asked this, I was still in my early 20's and couldn't ever see a time when I'd have to force myself to "make time" for sex. Well... I am in my 30's with two kids, running a household (aka zoo), and I'm tired...a lot. There have been plenty of times where I just wanted to roll over and go to sleep. But I never have because I want the marriage my grandparents have. They are both now in their 80's and STILL have an active sex life. I know this because my grandmother likes to over-share quite often. 

So, this witchy momma decided to take it up a notch. My grandmother shared something with me that changed my life and my relationship. I want to help others create some magick of their own, too. I started a Pure Romance business. Please feel free to check out the link, hit me up with any questions, or even schedule a party with me (if you are too far away, I can do one via fb for you!) Here is my link. I will also post a permanent link on the side bar.  Pure Romance by Dayna Bric

Brightest Blessings
           )O(