Every Journey Begins with a Single Step

I wanted to take a moment and write another short post. Most of this was written on my way home from my trip to Washington, but like the other post, I got distracted and so I wanted to make sure that I finished it.

This post is a little bit more of a journal entry style, but I thought it was important to share it.

I am already missing Washington. I'm not sure how much of it is Washington and how much of it is my uncle, and cousin, and their store. It really changes you when you're surrounded by so much magically charged energy. It's a very similar feeling I get when I walk into the local metaphysical shop at home.

Even though this was the first time I spent time with them, never once did I feel like I was intruding, or somehow didn't belong. After feeling like such a stranger with my own siblings and at times with my mother, making such an instant connection with people who I had met maybe once or twice previously, was a huge comfort.

During my trip I got to explore parts of Washington, including the Wolf Haven that I wrote about in a previous post. I also got to spend quiet a bit of time in the store. Not only did I get to learn about some of the process of running a store, but I even brought some of my jewelry to see if it will sell! Thank you auntie for the suggestion, thank you uncle for thinking it was a good one!!

This entire trip has been such an amazing experience. Bonding with family, getting an inside look at the working of the kind of store that I myself have hoped of one day opening, or at least being a part of, a place to sell and showcase my jewelry and I can promote their shop all at the same time.

When I stop to think about where I was this time two years ago, it's hard not to become overwhelmed from the memories of everything that I was going on at the time. This time last year, I had just begun a relationship with someone who truly valued me, and my experiences.

I am just completely an entire world away from where I was. Two years ago, I had no clue if I would ever go to school, I was in an unhealthy relationship, I was settling for a future that I wasn't sure I actually knew anything about. I wasn't in control of where I was going, and I wasn't being supported by the person I had built my life around.

Now, even though we're currently long distance, I am with someone who may not share all of the same views that I have, but he supports me. He encourages me to do whatever it takes to be happy and successful. To walk whatever path I feel called to, regardless of whether or not he is on the path with me.

My first term of school officially begins tomorrow, and in the last six months I have been home, I have already moved leaps and bounds from where I was.

During my train ride home as the rain came down I took the time to reflect just enough to reenforce the conviction that I never want to be in that kind of place again. In a letter to my closest friend I wrote

“...Never again will I let myself be held back, or believe the falsehood of someone who doubts me.”

This trip has done so much for me, in just four days I have summed up the courage to not be chased by the fear of uncertainty, but to move forward with determination.

There's just a few short months of this year left, it'll be interesting to see where this path will lead.

©2013-2015 Thealynn

Wolf Haven: The Unexpected Return

Note: I started this post the same day I had this adventure, due to scheduling and being a busy person(multitasking is not all it's cracked up to be) I had to finish this a couple of days later.

Now in this post I touch on a couple of subjects that I will be giving more explanation on at a later time, and perhaps once I do so I will have the presence of mind to arrange them in an order that will be a tad more cohesive, and hopefully make a bit more sense. Maybe.

Today I got to spend some time in a truly amazing place. For the last couple of days I have been visiting my uncle and cousin in Washington state. They recently opened a shop, and part of my visit was to arrange to sell my jewelry in the store. Which is not only extremely exciting for me and them, but this is the first real time I have gotten to spend time, and gotten to know them.

It has been one of the high lights of a pretty amazing year. During my visit I have been able to explore the town as well as spend a significant amount of time in their store, which if I can, I will be posting some pictures once I return home. (Possibly between tomorrow and Tuesday.)

One of the favorite places I was able to see was the Wolf Haven. An amazing facility that adopts wolves and wolf dogs, even some coyotes, from ignorant people who think that they make good pets. A few have even been rescued from road shows, illegal rings.

Also on the property there was an amazing grandfather tree. The folks who run the facility aren't exactly sure how old it is. That tree was so incredible, the energy of the entire grounds is indescribable.

I personally felt a special connection to this place for a couple of different reasons.

First of all, I was dying to see this place was because wolf is one of my most prominent totems. Wolf has been with me since I was about eleven. Shortly after wolf came to me, my Dad got me this.

The pendant is made of sterling silver with a moon stone. I've had this pendant half of my life, and whenever I wear it, I feel protected.

As I have studied the nature of wolves, not only as wild animals but also as a totem, I would be surprised if wolf wasn't with me for the rest of my life.

I made a video on totems that I posted on Youtube that I will link to on the bottom that goes into detail about what I mean. I'm sure that at some point I will make a post that sums up how I view totems and some of the ways I work with them.

The charm you see below is my souvenir from the Wolf Haven. They had an awesome collection of gifts including a giant stuffed wolf that would take up a good portion of one side of my bed. Unfortunately I didn't have plan on spending a lot on this trip, so it wasn't in the budget. Next time though, next time...

Another reason that this was such a powerful place for me is one of the most amazing trees I have ever seen. Before I had any kind of inclination of spirituality or religion, there was the trees. I felt the energy of the grass beneath my bare feet (despite several bee stings) the smell of the rose garden on the side of my first childhood home, and the trees in our yard were my friends. I could hear them, feel them, they were closer to me then anything or anyone else.

It didn't seem to matter if the trees were in my yard, a neighbor's, at the school, at the park, they were all there to share their stories, for me to share my secrets, to hide in, play in, even cry on. I loved them, and they loved me. I felt so connected as a child that I would even have a sense of mourning during the winter because I was told that trees die during that time. Whenever I was overwhelmed or up set, I would go outside. Walk in any kind of weather, sit under a tree and just breathe.

As I entered my teen years I felt completely up rooted by the divorce of my parents and felt as though I had been sent adrift to another place to become some else's problem. At times it felt like I was drowning in the struggles I was facing, and I couldn't hold my breath forever.

I related more and more to the element of water, where I could float away to my own special place where I would be unreachable. And until the last couple of years I had clung to that connection, it was easier to appear distant and dangerous, unpredictable to some.

I wasn't grounded.

When I learned that I was an Earth sign I couldn't help but laugh. It just wasn't me. I actually hasn't been until I broke off my previous relationship that I began reaching for land. I was exhausted from fighting the storms, and from desperately trying to stay afloat.

When I look back, I can't place on my finger on when I began to feel grounded again. It was certainly a gradual process, and it was definitely not something that could be rushed. I had traded my legs for a tail after all, or so I thought.

As I began putting my life back into some kind of order was when I began to notice. My feet were far from firmly on the ground, slowly but sure, I got to that grandfather tree. I could sense the energy from the moment we turned onto the road that took us to the wolf sanctuary, and when I got out of the car I could begin to feel it coursing through my veins.

Making our way to the tree was an experience in and of itself. I felt a number of different things, excitement, nervousness, uncertainty. It might sound strange, but it's just the kind of feeling you get when you reunite with someone who you haven't seen in a long time. Someone who used to be so important to you, but somehow faded away, or ripped away even.

Lifting the branches to reach the trunk was almost like making your way to the heart of the place you've been searching for, like hunting for buried treasure, or a long forgotten place. I took a moment to just let myself be surrounded by it's branches and those around it. It was simply massive.

Placing my hand on the trunk I was instantly enveloped in a array of thoughts and messages from every spirit that had left it's mark during the life of that tree. Every single one was so glad that I had come, was so glad to see me back. 

It was then that the deep resonating voice of the grandfather hugged me close and delivered his own whisper. 

I always knew you'd come back to me child. It's good to have you here again. 

It took just about all I had in me to not start crying. The feeling I was being overwhelmed by was the feeling of finally coming home. 

A series on imagines rushed their way to me seemingly faster then the wind, I think I may have even laughed out loud. As quickly as it came, it was gone again. In those few seconds that I had walk under the brush and simply laid my hand on the bark of this magnificent being, I came home.

We only stayed for a couple of minutes because we had a scheduled tour, but I even told my uncle that I didn't want to leave the immediate space. It was difficult pulling myself away, but I was assured in that same willowy whisper,

I will see you again child, you always make your way back to me.

©2013-2015 Thealynn

First Steps

Something that I have seen quiet a bit when people are looking for a place to start, is where did I start? Where did we start? Our generation is very lucky in that we  have the internet, and Youtube, and countless other resources. Ten, twenty years ago, others who were like minded did not have that luxury. There is also the timeless classic: How did you know? How did you know that this was right for you?

I honestly don't think it's one of those things where you know from the moment you are born that this is the right path. I think a lot of it is trial and error. Or curiosity. One could argue that it is merely chance, or happenstance; stumbling into it. 

For me personally, as I have mention previous, I was raised in a Christian family I grew up going to church, and being expected to know about the contents of the Bible. Fiction like Harry Potter was of the devil, and a movie like Hocus Pocus, (or later) Underworld was a neon sign to Satan that we were open for spiritual attacks.

I was formally introduced to paganism by my dad around the age of twelve, as he was very spiritually minded and connected with native american spirituality. My guess is that after the umpteenth time I told him about the feelings I got from animals, plants, the wind even, it was safe to say something.


So realistically, my spiritual journey started about as early as I could remember. Not that it didn't have it's detours however. There were periods of my life where I flat out refused to believe anything. I didn't give two figs about anything, so it made things easier if the universe worked the same way. 

As a child I was sensitive to energies and spirits, not that I knew the name, or even what they were really. But there were there just as much as I was, and that was good enough for me.

Like most young people who start exploring the idea of paganism, Wicca was the first path I was introduced to. I didn't understand a lot about it, and I naturally assumed (like most who don't know better) that Wicca and Witchcraft were the same thing. Or at the very least that they naturally went together. 

Through most of my teen years I went back and forth on whether I believed anything I had read or been told about paganism and spirituality. I knew what I felt and I knew what I had experienced, but with the divorce of my parents being so nasty, with the main focus being religion or lack there of depending on which side we were referring too, I just didn't want anything to do with anything.

It wasn't until I was out of high school that I felt safe enough within myself to take another look. I felt like I had a fairly decent grasp on Wicca. I learned how Witchcraft differs from Wicca, which took some time to make the separation stick.

For the first couple of years I just explored what I specifically thought, believed, felt was right. I would read books here and there that I could get my hands on. But it wasn't until I year and a half ago that I really began to take my spiritual path as more then something I kept between myself and my Dad. I began reading more, exploring different ideas, different paths, and began to really develop.

By the time I was in a place where I was willing and able to accept myself and my experiences and I wasn't scared to share it, or even acknowledge it, my spiritual path became something of great comfort for me. Having faith in what I know to be my soul's truth has been such a blessing. It has helped me in so many ways.

The universe is patient. If you're not sure, or if you're questioning, there is no one to guilt you because you're unsure. It took me most of my life (up until this point) to be solid in the general direction of my spiritual path. You may very well spend your whole life studying, learning, growing, questioning.

There are aspects of my path that I never thought I would incorporate. Like working with stones and crystals. I don't have a big collection, but I like having them. I enjoy learning about them and working with them. I've had a tarot deck for almost four years, and I'm still learning. I love giving readings to a few close friends, and of course my mentor. But I don't think I'm any where near giving readings for strangers.

As far as how I knew this was right for me, it really just took time. I was back and forth for years before I settled. I was lucky that I had a few very strong supportive people who were like minded that gave me the go ahead to believe what felt right. Not what they believed because that was their path, if they coincided, great! If not, great! We can learn from each other.

In the next couple of posts I'll make a list of books that I have read geared towards beginners, and a little blurb on my take on the books.

For now lovies, I am visiting family, and they would probably like some interaction.

Blessings and Light to you and yours.

©2013-2015 Thealynn

God Talk

One of the things that I have been thinking about quiet a bit lately is how to incorporate the god into my everyday life. As I am sure a lot of people can relate to, having the goddess represented as an equal is a main part of our spirituality, perhaps even a dominating factor.

I've always had a bit of a hard time relating to the god, in that being raised Christian and had an absent father figure most of my childhood, I was always more then eager to recognize the goddess, and incorporate her into my spiritual path.

Reflecting on the subject, it is a bit interesting to me however that in my very first meditation to meet the goddess, the god made an appearance as well. At the time I didn't think much of it, but in looking back I can see now that it was his quiet way of saying that: I'm here, when you're ready. I'll be watching over you.

It's even more interesting to me that the first interaction I had with specific deity was a god. Hades in fact, kind of the last manifestation I ever really expected to see, or to encounter, rather.  

Even with those experiences, I feel as though the god may get forgotten, and pushed to the back of our focus. I had another experience a couple of weeks ago while I was dealing with some financial business where I very strongly felt a sense of god energy. It was very subtle at first, but once I recognized what it was, it became very strong and a very prominent glow.

Since then I have been trying to really answer what I expected to be a fairly simple question. Which lead to another, which lead to another, and another.

Where does the god fit in with my spiritual path? What exactly does he do? What does he represent? How do I recognize him, and honor him?

I was kind of stunned when I realized that I didn't have a solid answer to any of those questions. Obviously he is the male half of the source, of the universe; consort to the goddess.

After that however, I was tapped out. I had absolutely not a clue what the god represented to me. Which, in all honesty, made me feel horrible. Previously I had worked solely with the goddess, with just about everything. Finding a way to work the god was a thought, but not a priority to me. And of course like most other things regarding my spiritual path, it came to me on its own accord, and when it felt right, I ran with it.

I have these gorgeous statues that I purchased at a local place in town and I fell in love with them instantly. It was really encouraging to me to have a like idea of how I view deity, and a very specific way to call on their energies. I had been looking at statuary for quiet some time, and when I saw these, I knew instantly that I would not be leaving the store without them.

 The lighting in my room can be a tad difficult to work with, so I tried to make sure my shadow didn't interfere with the shots too much.

I wanted to show the back of the statues also because seeing the carvings on the back because until I went to take the photos I hadn't noticed!

Which I feel a little silly about, but honestly I think it just makes them more special.

I could gush about these forever!

I think it goes without saying that having statuary of the god and goddess is definitely not necessary. There are literally hundreds of thousands of ways to honor them, and call on their energy. Again, I had been looking for statuary for a while, and being that I am a very visual person, this is what works for me personally.

One thing that I have found that I really enjoy, and helps me focus in on the energy of the god and goddess is having different items to represent them, to call on their energy, help me feel their presence.

For example: growing up in a Christian family, I definitely felt more connected to that god when I wore a cross. Listening to certain music helps get me in a certain frame of mind. Like mediation music, or classical to help me fall asleep. It goes the same way for this path also, having physical reminders helps me focus.

One of the things I also purchased at the store on a separate trip was a three armed candelabra with a white, red, and black candle respectively to represent the three faces of the goddess. Maiden, Mother, Crone. I loved it, and brought it home, set it up and...ugh...my alter began looking very goddess focused...lopsided even. Which was slightly concerning, but I wasn't sure what to do about it.

I wasn't sure how I connected to the god, how to find him outside of how I generally see him. With the goddess, I see her in the moon, in the earth, in water. But where did I find the god? Looking at my alter it struck me, what if I got a second candelabra, and used different colored candles? But what colors would I use? Was there a triple god aspect?

I knew already of the Holly King, and the Oak King, but what else was there? So I looked! I came across a blog post by Lady Caer Morganna, and in that post she talks about the Triple God, and what that looks like to her. She mentions the Young Lord, the King and the Sage. The Rising Sun/Dawn, Noon, and the Setting Sun/Sunset.

After a bit more digging, I also found a couple of other posts referring to the Young Lord as the Youth, or as the Warrior. I also found the triple aspect described as The Hunter and the Hunted, The Lover and the Fighter, The Giver and the Taker.

There was also the idea of tying the aspects of the god, with the goddess to the pentacle: Maiden-Greenman-Mother-Horned God-Crone.

In my own mind, it makes the most sense that the goddess would have a companion all through life. So there would be a triple god aspect.

Friend to the Maiden, I think would be the Young Lord. Associated with the color yellow. The rising sun, bright, vivacious, full of energy. 

Consort to the Mother, for me would be the Oak King or the Horned God. Associated with the color green. He is the hunter, provider for his people, the leader in battle, the warrior.

Companion to the Crone, to me would be the Holly King or the Sage. Associated with the color blue. He is Merlin, the keeper of knowledge, adviser, full of wisdom, the teacher.

None of this is necessarily set in stone. It's still a fairly new concept for me and it's definitely still evolving. But I think I like it the way it is right now. 

Now that I have at leas that part figured out, that leaves me with figuring out how and what does the god represent in my life and in my path.

One thing was fairly clear to me, the god made his presence known when I was dealing with financial matters. I also got a burst of god energy when I was having a few concerns about school, like actually doing well. I also felt god energy when I thought about taking a break from my Etsy page. 

So rather then trying to figure it out, he let me know without doubt where he would be involved. When it comes to concentration, focus, and will power with work, school, and my business, that is where my energy is going to channeling to and through.

The goddess is definitely my passion, and my creativity, my ideas and the desire to do them. The god will be the driving force to make it happen, and have it make sense in a prosperous way. 

So there is my god talk. I'm curious how you relate to the god, and how you recognize him. What colors would you use for the candles. If you were to (or do) recognize a tripe god aspect, what colors would you use to represent each aspect?

i.e. White~Maiden, Red~Mother, Black~Crone

In case you fall as much in love with these statues as I did, one of my favorite shops is carrying them now. I will also include a link where you can check out the artist.

For now my dearies, I bid you adieu as I have work in the morning.

Blessings and Light to you and yours.

Magical Omaha

Mickie Muller

NOTE 09/18/13

I found this book while I was killing time downtown.

I haven't been able to crack it open yet, because I am currently in the middle of another book. I did flip through it before purchasing it, and read the little blurb on the back, and it talks about gods from different pantheons, as well as making ways to incorporate the god into your practice.

I'm pretty excited about this find, for me it's also a clear confirmation from the universe that I am on the right track with my path.

Gotta love those!

©2013-2015 Thealynn

Catch Up

Hello again lovies,

First I want to apologize for my long absence, (or at least what I consider to be long.) My laptop was not turning on and I needed to get it fixed. Especially with school coming up, two of my classes are online, so having this little gal working was more then necessary.  (Side note, I named my laptop Harriett; just like Codex in the Guild at CheeseyBeards.)

In the couple of weeks that have passed since I had to take my computer in, a lot and a little has happened.
I took an impromptu trip to Portland to lend some moral support to some very special people to me. (I might do a separate post about that at another time.)

I also have been planning the celebration I will be sharing with my boyfriend. It'll be one year on the twenty-second of this month (September.) We will be spending the weekend on the coast, which I am crossing my fingers that the weather is decent.

Just a couple of short days after that I will be taking the train into Washington to spend a couple of days with my cousin and uncle and will be setting up to sell some of my jewelry in his new shop!

Then I come home just in time to start school! And so will begin my adventure...

I have been wanting to attend school for a few years now, but have not due to certain restrictions, which no longer apply, so I am more then excited and a tad nervous to begin this journey.

I'm not really sure what to expect with school, seeing as I have never been, so that makes it a little scary. But I can just tell that it's going to be one of the most exciting rides of my life.

©2013-2015 Thealynn