Dealing with Death

In honor of the life of my Grandfather (April 7th 1928 - February 16th 2015), who passed into the next life this morning, I dedicate this post.

"For death is certain to one who is born...thou shalt not grieve for what is unavoidable."

Death is truly the one thing that equates everything on this planet. Everything has a life span. Be it natural, forced, or accidental; Death will find us all. For that reason alone, it is rare that I mourn a death. I celebrate the life the person lived. No matter how long or short it may have been, the moments are what were important in someone's existence. 

My Grandfather was a brilliant man. He taught my brother, cousin, and I a lot as we grew up. He would read to us. Where the Red Fern Grows being one of my favorites. He'd recite poetry 'Cremation of Sam Mcgee' being my favorite. There were stories that graced our morning drives to school and races to see who could fasten their seat belts the fastest. And every single morning he would sing to us... When You're Smiling by Louis Armstrong. 

Oddly enough, it's the first thing I woke up with stuck in my brain. 



We learned how to shoot, hunt, make bullets, and whittle. He had given us kids each a case of matches, a metal bowl and showed us how to light matches. We spent months lighting and blowing out those matches and burning the spent matches into ashes. Haha, probably not the safest thing to do, but we never felt the need to light a match outside of that time period. 

There were canisters worth of old gunpowder "domino" lines drawn and lit on the driveway. He was always teaching though. Everything he did had purpose and taught us something. I truly wish that my children had known that Opa, rather than the post stroke Opa they grew up with. Although, even the first stroke didn't keep him from getting down on the floor and playing cars with my oldest until he was 7 or so. 

He camped, hunted, built a cabin, boated, fished, and took time to feed us sugared butter bread (it was a depression era thing apparently). 

I believe that remembering the life lived is far more important than the death. I honored him in my way. I spent some time at my altar, asked the ancestors to guide his soul and lit an eternal candle to help lead his spirit to where he deserves to be. It will burn for the next three days. I'll do the standard viewing and funeral that my family sets up as well. He's my Grandfather after all. 

My kids took it very differently. The youngest is too young to really get it. My oldest shut down. He's starting to come out of his shell at the time of this post . We all process differently and I support that. He knows he's loved and he knows I'm here if he wants or needs to talk. 

Rest with the ancestors Opa, I will see you next lifetime. 

Over Excitement....

Many times, and even I am guilty of this, a path can speak to us so strongly that we instantly get swept up into the mysticism of something new and over do it. 

I have run into many people who are very gun-ho on the draw when it comes to learning about a new path in the beginning. As time drags on however, the romanticism of the new fades and you're left with sometimes textbook style learning. It happens. Honestly, it is very important for the history and background of the path to be known just as much as it is for each individual spell and candle color. The old adage, 'If you don't know where you come from, how do you know where you are going?' is very true. Especially when it comes to a spiritual path, in my opinion. You have to know what your convictions are.

There is nothing wrong with researching a new path. But take your time with it. Don't take on more than you can handle! It is very easy to get confused. I've studied for 18 years and the first 3 years kind of all blend together because I did so much at once. I've had to go back and redo what I've already done, just to straighten out facts in my own head/books. 

I love the enthusiasm a new person brings to the table. That thirst to learn. It's intoxicating for a teacher and we want to throw everything we know at them! Sometimes, it's hard even for us to reign ourselves in and remember to slow it down and not overwhelm the new person. 

I, unlike many teachers, get to have students of many different paths. My lesson plans never consist of the same material twice. I have Druidic students, Heathens, Celtic non-Druids, and even a Wiccan or two. My advice to teachers and students alike is to make sure you keep a constant dialogue. If you feel (as a student) you are being overwhelmed, say so! As a teacher, if you need to know if your student can handle more information, ASK! 

Finding your way through this maze of tangled trees should be an adventure for all involved!

Think Spring

For those of us dreaming of sunny days...

Herbal Sun Tea

What you will need:
A clear glass jar {1 Qt or larger}
A will to collect herbs {1 C/Qt}
Water
A sunny day

1. Collect and rinse a couple handfuls of your favorite herbs, fruits and/or flowers. To be honest, I don't always rinse mine. I personally like the opportunity to boost my immunity and am a fan of bacteria and microbes in my own personal intake {of course within reason}.

2. Say a little thank you for the nourishment {as long as feels good and that you have time for}. If you have the time make a longer walk of it!

3. Place your findings in a clear glass jar, cover herbs completely with cool water and place the lid on your jar. Use one cup of herbs per quart of water.

4. Give your jar a few gentle shakes to ensure all the herbs are well coated. This is a nice time to set an intention, set in some of your juju, and give some more thanks.

5. Place your jar of solstice tea in a sunny spot on the grass, porch or table for at least 3-5 hours. The warmer the day, the less time you may need.

Placing your jar on the grass is a lovely way to embrace the energy of the Sun and the Earth. If it will be out in mostly high noon sun, which come from directly above, you may want to consider placing it on its side for a higher sunlight to glass jar exposure. Allow this to sit for

6. Let your sun tea sit throughout the day to soak up this Solstice Sunshine. When you get home you can strain it and enjoy your favorite tea ritual 

Herbal Suggestions:
Calendula Flowers (Calendula officinalis): A favorite herb of many with gorgeous orange blooms and a sunny disposition all around. It is used topically to heal wounds quite commonly and I have seen it effective as a gargle for swollen lymph glands. It is anti-microbial, increases immunity, and to be honest, I have listed it here mostly because of it's beautiful good cheer! As for topical use, I have found it to be initially moistening, nourishing and repairing followed by drying. I also love to use the oil under my eyes if I ever wake up a little but puffy eyed and it works wonders. Also adds a bit of a gold glow to the skin.

Dandelion Leaf and Flower (Taraxacum officinale): If all of America stopped trying to evict this beautiful flower from their front yards we would have a whole lot less edema and constipation and a whole lot more joy and wishes made true from their beautiful yellow blossoms.

Just kidding. Well maybe...

Dandelion leaf is high in potassium, high in Vitamin A, delicious in salads, tasty in teas, and an excellent diuretic {encourages urination}. The potassium-diuretic connection is especially important because most diuretics are known to deplete potassium from your system. So...Dandelion=two birds one stone when in comparison and can be used in tea form {dry or fresh} or tincture form.

The leaves are most delicious when picked just prior to flower. As they age they become a bit more bitter and this is the same with the flower.

The roots are only slightly bitter and also a bit sweet. When chopped and toasted the roots can make a delicious coffee replacement {with chicory and carob as well}. I find the tea from the dried roots to be very drying, almost puckering to the mouth if you drink too much for your own body type.Though, I have not seen this in everyone.

http://nourish-mindbodyspirit......lcome.html