Tomorrow is Oak and Mistletoe's annual "Introduction to Inclusive Wicca" workshop where we show and tell about our tradition and meet lots of new folks. It's also the start to our coven's outer court teaching program for 2012 so very exciting for us when we meet the year's prospective students.

As a published author, I have a number of books available in paperback but I've spent the last few days learning how to convert the manuscripts for electronic distribution through iTunes, Kindle, Barnes & Noble and so forth. It's been a steep learning curve but I think I've got it worked out. I thought I'd start with the simplest book first (in terms of formatting) just to get the hang of it all and then progress to the more difficult books I've written in terms of their formatting.

I love days when I can give gifts to folks and today is another of those special days. I held a competition for my business ‘Natural Medicine & Health’ and the winner receives $150 worth of free product. That winner was Rainbow Farm in South Australia and they’ll be receiving their choice of products posted to them.

However, I thought I’d add a special surprise winner too for someone and so Karen Thom from  Melbourne also won a prize and she will be receiving any one flower or crystal essences from my range.

The long awaited date has arrived and the second issue of Spirit & Spell was released 1 day early yesterday. As editors, David and I worked so hard on this issue and I’m hoping that our dedication shows. The issue has been emailed to all the CCIWI members(they get it free as part of their membership package) and it’s been sent to all the subscribers too. So now I wait for the feedback…

The lovely Stacey Demarco has been sponsoring the Pagan Prayer Project and this is a collaborative project in which Pagans from all over the globe have submitted personal and original prayers and chants that will then be published in a book format. I love this concept because it not only honours the wonder of Pagan prayer and allows the broader public to access and use those prayers too but it brings together many Pagans in a unified project.

I’m inspired every day by so many special people and while I try and say thank you to them, I probably don’t say that enough. So today I want to say thank you. I want to honour those folks who lift me, who show me their dedication, strength and motivation. I want to give my respect to those amazing people whose limitless creativity delights me every day. I want to return the love and warmth from my family and loved ones and I want to honour those amazing people who do so much great work within their communities.

So last night was my first night duty here at Cobber Pedy and we had not a single job which is great because it meant no one was hurt and needed the services of an ambulance crew. However, trying to sleep (in my uniform) while also conscious of needing to wake quickly and completely if that little pager squealed in my ear meant a very poor night’s sleep. Today I may try and cat nap in between callouts if I can.

Smiles and blessings, Amethyst

This morning I’m flying up to Coober Pedy to spend the weekend on ambulance duty up there. In what feels like my previous corporate life, I used to be on a plane to some part of Australia or the world at least once a week for a meeting or to teach and train and when I gave up that lifestyle (and the pay that went with it!) all those plane flights stopped. I actually had flight withdrawal symptoms for some time! :)

Today is Australia Day and the day when we celebrate all things Aussie. It’s the day we have a barbie, a swim at the beach or in the river, when we eat prawns and salad, when we drive round with Aussie flags poking out of our windows, watch the firework displays, drink beer and wine and enjoy the wonder of our amazing country.

When cleaning out the spare room this week I found a massive pile of “Pay it Forward” post-it notes I had created a few years ago. Each morning I would think of a new way that I (or someone else) could show some kindness to someone else and I would write that on a post-it note and paste it to my office door. My idea was that it might inspire someone (including me) to do something for someone else and make their day.

Needless to say, I'm kind of new at this whole Wicca business. Now, I've been active in Druidry and what some would call "Traditional Witchcraft." However, it should be noted that field has become somewhat labeled, exclusive, and myopic.

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of taking Lilah Sian through her 2nd degree initiation and what a magickal evening it was. The purpose of this ceremony is quite different to that of 1st degree and so the content reflects that difference. For obvious reasons, I can’t reveal that content but suffice it to say that the ritual is beautiful and very meaningful to all concerned.

In learning about and practicing Wicca, do we focus so much on ’doing’ Wicca that we forget about also  ‘being’ Wiccan and knowing why we’re doing what we do? As part of my commitment to study different religions, I’ve been studying Druidry and a thought struck me about one of the differences between Druidry and Wicca. At the risk of upsetting someone’s apple cart, I’m going to suggest that as Wiccans, we often focus on quite heavily on ‘doing’ Wicca but sometimes forget to just ‘be’ Wiccan.

The darling hubby’s ingenuity never fails to amaze me. This last weekend he erected the archway over the sacred altar which wasn’t easy given the rock foundation the altar has. Positioning it so it was squared and even but with the feet deep enough to keep it stable proved to be a little more difficult than originally planned. The stone altar is concreted onto a rock base which extends out from the altar edge as a firm foundation so the new archway had to somehow fit through that lot.

This weekend one of our coven members undertakes her second degree initiation and so part of my work this week is to get everything prepared for that wonderful event. Initiations are always very special, very emotional and exceptional ceremonies of beauty and power. Second degree initiation has quite a different ‘flavour” and intention than first degree initiation though so the ritual content and pre-ritual prep is a little different to reflect that different purpose.

I’m loving the feel of my updated clinic room. It’s decorated in green and white and has a very gentle, relaxed and nurturing feel to it now that I’ve rearranged the furniture and added some new features to it. It’s a great room to work in too because of the gentle atmosphere in there, makes it very conducive to getting a lot of work done!

Smiles and blessings, Amethyst

I'm afraid that i'm not dedicated enough to writing to promise to put up a post on a regular basis, but thought that I might share some reflections on each lesson as I complete them.

While I have learnt much whilst working my way through Lesson 1, these are the things that I have found the most most profound.

This year marks my final year’s study for my Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) and so at the end of this year, I’ll be adding to my existing qualifications by also being a naturopath. It’s been a fairly intense period of study for me in which I condensed the first two years study into one year.

I’m not very well coordinated when I first get out of bed and this morning I ripped my toe nail back when I accidentally brushed my foot past darling hubbies work case. Ouch!!!!!! Anyway, for obvious reasons, it got me thinking about swear words and their origins. I personally don’t like swear words much especially the F and C words and I have to be REALLY angry or upset before I say any swear word really with the exception of “bloody” which us Aussies tend to use frequently and don’t even really see it as a swear anymore.

It’s been a few days of cleaning, tidying, cleaning, tidying and just a bit more cleaning and today should see the last of it hopefully. My clinic room is finished and looks great. It didn’t need spring cleaning really but I freshened that up with some furniture shifting around.

Today is supposedly Black Friday and there are a number of ideas about why that might be. One of the most prevalent is that the Knights Templar were hunted down, tortured and killed in simultaneous raids on Friday October 13th 1307 on the orders of King Philip. They had supposedly become too powerful and were a threat to the stability and power of the monarchy.

Today is a good day. Today is a good day. So mote it be! I’ve decided that I will overcome the bickering and negativity that I’ve observed around me these last few days and I will enjoy a positive, productive, peaceful day filled with love and laughter.

Live life to the fullest, because we're not always promised tomorrow, and the next day or the day aftere that. My  favorite saying is this I'M A WICCAN SO GET OVER IT.

My beautiful new ritual shoes have moulded themselves to my feet so that they fit exactly now and they’re ready to have their soles attached. The wonderful Jann French makes mediaeval style shoes, all hand stitched to the shape of your on foot  and once you have worn them for a few days and they have moulded exactly to your shape, she then takes them back and adds soles to the bottom. This ensures the soles are added in such a way so as not to disturb the fit, so that the soles match your walk pattern and it makes them more durable for a longer time frame.

My veggie patch is overrun with veggies! We’ve already harvested some great cauliflower and broccoli and I’ve got enough silverbeet to feed the entire nation it seems. The cucumbers were delicious and the tomatoes are amazing. The pumpkin though is a triffod and now takes over half the veggie patch and the paving beside it too! The leaves are the size of a dinner plate and the pumpkins growing underneath the canopy of leaves are plump and big. What a bumper harvest!

Smiles and blessings, Amethyst

Had a couple of nightmares last night which is probably just the aftermath of being on ambulance shift at a fatal, high speed MVA yesterday afternoon. Having done some debriefing this morning and engaged with peer support has been a tremendous help but it did make me consider how we best support each other and how draining giving support can be at times. Yes, it’s our role to support our loved ones but I think it’s aso important to make sure we support ourselves so we’re able to support others and that we seek support when it’s needed.

I’m on duty again today as an ambulance responder and in between drug checks and call outs, it got me thinking about our role as volunteers in the community. It’s been my firm belief for several years that as a person of faith, I also have a responsibility to give back in whatever way is appropriate and effective for me. This of course is my ambulance volunteering, my work with the CCIWI Food Pantry for Pagan folks in need and the pro bono work I do but for each person, the skills they can bring to their community as a volunteer are different.

There’s a fine line between justice and revenge and while justice may bring a logical resolution, revenge just lengthens and intensifies the dispute. Yes I’m a pacifist, always have been and I prefer to maturely walk away from an argument than engage in it but in terms of justice versus revenge, I think the waters can sometimes get a little muddied.

I’m currently taking a Comparative Religion class as part of my ongoing theology PD and I’m finding it fascinating having to compare the major world religions with each other. It’s really stimulating exploring the fundamental tenets that uphold each religion and contrasting them with one another. Looking at their developmental history over the last 2000+ years and how and why they each branched off into different denominations and traditions is also really interesting.

While the internet has opened up instant communication and provided opportunities for so much good, it disturbs me that a minority of people can use this amazing medium to cause damage and havoc. Cyber bullying, harassment, defamation and sheer unethical destruction have caused many young people around the world to take their own lives. Defamatory statements made by some people have caused others to be wrongly imprisoned or to lose their businesses, homes or jobs.