A Long Pause and I'm Back Again

 As you know over the past year and a month I have been ill and sadly enough this blog has been neglected. Still no answers yet as to what and why the pain began, all my test have been negative, no sign of cancer or tumors, and problems that were thought to have been have improved.

So on Thursday, the 22nd I saw my cardiologist and after a two hour visit I have come home with a laundry list of tests i need to have, so just about every week in May and June I will be having some kind of test. The last appointment is on July 1, my birthday, and believe it or not its listed as: F/U cardiac testing, is this an omen? I believe it translates to Follow UP cardiac test. Anyway I’m happy to say I have been having more good pain free days, but not enough as I see it. I’m sick if hurting. Those days render me pretty much useless, and I have too much to do to spend my days lying down.

Here is what I have been up to lately on my good days, after packing and shipping the daily sales from the Amazon and Ebay stores, I clean house and then I usually read a bit, do some stitching, water the plants.

Last week I pulled out a few old issues of Sage Woman magazine, in the early days publication was pretty regular and the issues arrived quarterly. As years passed publication was a crap shoot, one year you would get 4 issues the next 3. This year I haven’t received a single issue, the last issue was due out August 2020.

My progress on the March Goddess hand embroidery has been slow going I have made some progress on the faces and started the hands. When I finish the hands I will put it aside to get the April goddess finished, I am enjoying this little challenge I made for myself.

Here is a sneak peek at the April goddess for my Goddess of the month project, The Minoan Snake Goddess, I did start stitching it but wanted to get March finished but as the days moved on I realized that wasn't happening so I'm stitching April again and work on March in between. 

Here is an updated photo of some of my goddesses that I have, I ordered a new half moon table to use a an altar and that should be arriving early in May.

This space is getting a little crowded, I usually move things around but I haven’t had a chance in a while but once the new table gets here I will have more space. I have small altars in other rooms but this one I can see from my desk and my loveseat in the livingroom. 
  

This one is the newest from Brigid’s Grove meant to represent Persephone, I love the color and I am partial to these little figurines and in fact just ordered another one in a lovely green. I don’t always keep the goddess as depicted in the description and have quite a few without the belts, whatever goddess I feel a devotion for at the time my goddess will represent. I began taking part in the Brigid’s Grove Living the Questions and also the 30 Days of Goddess Devotion but somehow lost track of what I was doing in March, so I order the pre-printed journal and expected it to arrive for April 1st unfortunately with the postal delays we had this year it wasn’t delivered until the 9th, so I will try again in May, and I also purchased the 2nd edition of the pre-printed journal so I can continue on in June. An idea I had was to print out the pages Molly has generously given us and on my birthday I will do the goddess devotion journal for the entire year.

I plan to set it up either in a scrap book or a 3-ring binder, I haven’t decided yet but I have lots of periodicals to snip from, a stack of old We’moon date book calendars full of lovely goddess images, quotes, etc. I had planned on taking my goddess devotions deeper this year and this journal project through Brigid’s Grove has really helped me with that.

Above are a few books that I have been reading are oldies from the past but so appropriate for the goddess devotional and delving deeper. And a bit of tea with the goddess is always a nice treat, the older books are 365 Goddess by Patricia Telesco, The Goddess Celebrates edited by Diane Stein is an anthology of women’s rituals, written by the foremothers of the goddess spirituality movement and the gem in all by Marija Gimbutas The Language of the Goddess, and right on top is the Whole and Holy a Goddess Devotional by Molly Remer.

Here is a link to Brigid’s Grove if you are interested check it out https://brigidsgrove.com/

I have to transplant a few plants into large pots today, I am late again but oh so hopeful that I will have better luck this year since I have more good says. I would love to put in some raised beds but bending forward causes too much pain so planting in containers this year will have to be enough.

Before I post this here is the completed February goddess the Cailleach, she turned out lovely. I added a quartz crystal to the staff and used a twisted jump ring at the center of her belt. The use of the DMC Etoile floss with the bits of metallic thread was a great choice and gives me the icy effect I was hoping for. I love the look of the spiral fabric she is stitched on and will probably use it for another goddess or two through the year.

Well that’s what I have been up to lately. How is your month going?

Welcome Spring!

 

February Goddess of the Month: The Cailleach

 I have started the hand embroidery for this month’s goddess for my A Goddess a Month project. I have chosen the Cailleach for February.

The Cailleach was the goddess of the cold and the winds. Sometimes known as the Veiled One or the Queen of Winter, the Cailleach determined the winter’s length and harshness. The Cailleach dwelled in Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, and many places remain dedicated to her within these regions. 

The goddess is being stitched on 100% cotton fabric with a tone on tone spiral print, I am using DMC 6 strand floss 157 for the flesh and DMC Etoile C798 for the Cailleach's mantle or cloak. I had planned to use the Etoile floss for the little bit of sparkle it has to give the appearance of ice on her clothing. Here is my progress so far, I haven't done the eyes yet I am trying to decide whether I will leave them blank or use a blue floss.

The photo looks as if the flesh is done in white floss trust me its blue. Once the stick and wash product is remove she will look less messy.  

Have a Warm and Happy Imbolc and Blessing for a Wonderful Brigid's Bay!

 

Oh and Happy Groundhog Day too!

A Few Books for the Witchy Reading Challenge

 

I picked up a few books from the library today and two of them will be read for the 2021 Witchy Year Reading Challenge.

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe also wrote The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane which I read in April 2015. I'm not sure if the book is a series or just a follow up since both books have the same main character.

 I finished reading  Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden and also read a quick cozy mystery Charms and Chocolate Chips by Bailey Cates, its a Magical Bakery series brewing magically spiced treats with a coven of hedge witches, this was the 3rd book in the series, I started the 4th book Some Enchanted Eclair yesterday.

On the crafty side of life I finished the January Goddess for my Goddess a month for 2021 project.

 I began the hand embroidery on another Brigid's Cross piece and have to put the finishing touches of the sketch for the February Goddess.

There us quite a bit of detail in this design so it won't be ready for Brigid's day this year which is fine with me I just like having a few embroidery pieces reading to stitch.  

A Reading Challenge for 2021

 It’s been a few years since I participated in a reading challenge which is odd for me since I read quite a bit so this year I am participating in the 2021 Witchy Year Reading Challenge. I read all kinds of books being a life long practicing Witch pagan books are on the top of my to be read books. I read both non-fiction and fiction.

I love a fun cozy mystery with or without a little magic thrown in for fun and I like to keep current on what is being read in the pagan community so I should be able to do this challenge all year. Here is the link if you would like more information or to join in the challenge.

https://www.juliecornewell.net/2020/12/announcing-2021-witchyyear-reading.html

The first book I’m reading is Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden (non fiction) 

January Goddess Stitching

 The hand embroidery on my January goddess is progressing very nicely, in addition to using DMC Coloris floss 4509 I'm using DMC floss 3836 on the central spirals.   Here are a few photos of the progress, the back of the stitchery better shows the flow of the coloris floss which changes after about an inch of stitching.  The flow will change depending on where you cut and when you start the next piece of floss.

The work on this goddess for January is going quite fast so I may wind up doing a second goddess for January.