August 1, 2013
Making Your Own Drum
Before you can march to the beat of your own drum… you first must have a drum! Recently I attended a weekend retreat (Feminine Energy Experience) where a bunch of like-minded women gather to discuss life, love, and our addiction to coffee. We end up with lots of laughs, great discussion and many ideas to ponder. One of the activities was drum making and I was all over this opportunity and I learned a lot.
Starting with the basics; a drum frame, a hide and sinew – I was ready. We learned a lot about cleansing the hide and sinew from the fear and pain the animal felt when it was killed as well as thanking the animal for its sacrifice so that we can make this sacred object. We then used oil to anoint the frame of the drum doing the same for the tree (Maple) that was harvested so that we could make this drum. Once our materials were “cleaned” we were ready.
I have to say, my OCD was a bit on hyper-drive but with a patient teacher I was able to realize that there is no “wrong” way. What was meant to be would materialize in the form of a completed drum. Once I “let go” I realized I was having more fun because we were telling stories, laughing and working with our hands all at the same time. It was divine!
Punching the hide with anchor holes is a bit of an art form that requires some open thinking and some brawn. Then making the holes large enough for the sinew to be strung through is the next step. All during this process you have to keep the hide wet so that it remains supple for the stretching over the drum frame. The stringing is where the OCD went out of control but it was quickly accomplished. Lacing the longer of the two ends to make a cross of sorts on the underside taking in the four directions; north, south, east and west and tying it all off.
What was important to do is let the ends of the sinew (however long) dry along with your drum and NOT cut them off. When the drum is fully dried and ready to play… you symbolically cut the ends like an umbilical cord. This sets the drum free to be its own entity.
What is invaluable to note: while I started this blog stating the intent to “march to the beat of my own drum” which on many levels instills a concept of individuality… drum making made me aware of the importance of the drum and the symbolism of the elements, the directions, the interconnectedness of all life and the (heart) beat that holds us all together moving forward and evolving.
February 17, 2013
Modern Medicine Bags!
After a stessful visit at the veterinarian’s office, I decided to take my co-pilot to my favorite metaphysical store. He was very shaken by his visit since everything is so new to him and he had to get a shot (horror!). Well, I happened to be close to the store and wanted to get a two for one trip type deal. So, off I went to do a bit of shopping! I parked right out front so he could watch me through the windows. Being a cute sort of dog he had a bevy of female fans chattering on about him in the store as he watched us. It was sort of comical.
Well, I am a firm believer that you find what you need when you need it… you just have to realize it. After a round of browsing I found these little medicine bags made out of soft leather with a crystal sewn to the outside. Inside they had different stones which each had certain properties and when combined gave an overall assistance to the holder. For example, the one I found had a collar clip as it was meant for pets and the options were “calm & grounded”, “happy & healthy” and “protection”. For more examples or to shop online visit their site: www.crystalmedicinebags.com.
I chose the “calm & grounded” for my pup. The contents included moonstone – which calms and nurtures, tiger’s eye – which grounds excess energy and soothes both physically and mentally. The bag also had a dog bone charm on the outside and a crystal sliver sewn to the outside.
I clipped this onto my pup’s collar and he slept the entire ride home… which has never happened! I don’t have him wear it all the time but I do make sure I put it on for times of stress… such as the vet visits, car rides and other social engagements.
Great idea and another great find at my favorite store!
September 30, 2010
Scrying with a Mirror
When attending a Pagan Pride I generally only buy items that call to me. One year it was Runes. Another year it was a crystal ball. This year it was a scrying mirror. What I find is that each year as I am called to one tool or another, I am learning at my own pace. Most of my pagan friends are leap years ahead of me with what they are learning and the honing of their skills. I have found that your magickal path is yours alone and you must take it at your own pace.
In discussing a scrying mirror with my friend Gaia, she said she no longer uses hers. She no longer needs the tool and has progressed to seeing images in her “mind’s eye”. What is wonderful about this is that while I know little about the tool, I learned right away that it is just a tool to assist me in scrying. Therefore, as I progress, different tools may work better than others but the skill of scrying will still be the foundational skill in and of itself.
When taking a workshop on scrying, the instructor had mentioned that the tool should be covered or contained when not in use. It will continue to act as a portal even when not in use. Taking care of your tools and handling them with respect is always an important part of any magickal undertaking.
The purpose of a scrying tool is to assist your intuition or subconscious to speak to your conscious self. To do this follow a few simple steps.
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Quiet your mind. Use a few minutes to meditate and offer a request out to the universe to help you with your quest.
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In a quiet spot, darkened room, light a candle and gaze upon the mirror with candle light near you.
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Unfocus your eyes and take note of what you begin to see and where on the tool you see the images.
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Make notes of your findings. Most often scrying will unravel a story after a few sessions.
Sometimes you may see things toward the edges of the mirror. This can indicate past lives, past events in this life or your spirit guide who will often watch over your shoulder.
The best advice I was ever given was that any skill takes practice, patience and perseverence. If scrying via mirror or water or crystal ball is something you are called to learn or investigate, keep with it and let it unravel in its own due course. Happy scrying!
September 27, 2010
Pagan Birthday Surprises
This year I celebrated my 40th turn on the Wheel. I am a spring baby… with a sun sign of Gemini and a rising sign of Pisces. My standing in the world is one of sensitivity and thoughful repose. Avoiding conflict is a high priority for me.
Often I spend a lot of time in giving gifts with meaning to both me and hopefully the recipient. Trying to pick out something that is symbolic of our friendship/ relationship/ mutual bond.
This year someone did the same for me and I was simply blown away. My sun sign usually keeps me from being speechless… but this was something that I had to really sit with, study and once doing so,
realized the effort and love that went into it.
To celebrate each year of my life, a precious stone was added to a beautiful bag. Each stone was researched, documented and placed in the bag to allow me to work with it and use it in my magickal path. The sheet you see here is actually the cover letter but behind this sheet is a description of each stone (to help me identify it) as well as the stone’s properties and energies. I can take the stone and place it on my bedside table altar and set my intention on it as an offering to the universe.
What is even better? The gift included a simple and exquisite set of sculpted hands. I can place the stone there as a symbol of my offering and work with the stone for as long as needed. It is such a wonderful addition to my candle and prayer work that I simply had to share with my readers!
August 27, 2008
Oracle Cards
I often find that I am looking for something to help me work through a situation. I have many decks of cards from Tarot to Oracle that I use for different situations. Sometimes a deck will go a bit stale for me so I pick up another and sort of rotate them. Recently, when doing a tour of my favorite stores… I found this deck and thought I would give it a try. Ask Your Guides is an oracle deck by Sonia Choquette. Her work has been inspiring in the past and I do often thank my guides, angels, or spirits when I have a good bit of luck so it seemed a good choice for me. My first reading was quite revealing. You can either pull one card for the day or do a 3 card layout for more detail surrounding an issue or situation. I chose the three card layout and card one was for Attitude/ Approach to the Issue. Card two represented the Energy/ Vibration Shift to assist in resolving the issue. Card three signified the Overlooked Resolution. My reading was not only spot on… it made a lot of sense. Funny, I didn’t even have an issue but as I read the cards the relating situation cemented in my thoughts.
Click on the image to go directly to Sonia’s website. I highly recommend this deck!
May 21, 2008
Sea Salt and Crystal Cleansing
I bought a beautiful crystal ball from the Celtic Cricket (or Chuck if you know him) and it was love at first sight. To cleanse this crystal ball I used sea salt and water and left it out under the full moon. After the cleansing I still could not see or feel anything from the ball.
In discussing this with a good friend Debi, aka Velvet Skyes, she held the ball and told me that there was a lot of Chuck’s energy still present. Since he has a tremendous amount of powerful energy she told me to put the crystal in a bowl of sea salt for an entire moon cycle. After this two week period, full moon to full moon, I picked up the crystal ball and the energy had completely changed. It is now stored in mugwart which will enhance the vibrations of the crystal.
My next step will be to meditate with the crystal and share my energy with it. Only then will I be able to utilize it to it’s fullest potential. I hope to have great visions while scrying with this crystal!
Brightest Blessings!
The Broom Closet 