I thought folks might appreciate reading this article I wrote a year or so back about how to make your own athame. It's available along with a myriad of other articles at http://www.oakandmistletoe.com.au/useful-articles/useful-articles  but is recreated here for you.

I lit a candle. That may not sounds like much, but its the first one I have lit with any intent other than providing light during a black-out in a tad over 4 years. I also had some incense burning (rose). Watching the soft glow and the flame of the candle (pink) mingle with the smoke of the incense brought a very comfortable familiar feeling to me. I did not stare at it that long really, but did have a good look and it just felt..right.

I had the wonderful pleasure of having lunch with an old friend today but was so sad to hear that her old doggy fur kid Peggy was at the vet and dying. Apprently Peggy (who's now a ripe old 13 years or 91 in doggy years) has been coughing blood, has been rather sad for the last couple of days and is ready to go to the Summerlands. My friend was going to pick Peggy back up from the vet this afternoon and let her come home to die at peace amongst her loved ones at home.

Oh yeah, the authority in our house is very clear. The cats, then us two humans and then finally poor Doggy Shadow holding up the lowly end of our household feudal system. The cats have made it abundantly clear that they rule the house and the rest of us better dam well get used to it. While poor Doggy Shadow obediently and affectionately holds up the lower end of the hierarchy bless his hairy cotton socks.

Yep, the seasons are definitely changing and with it come the usual increase in dream activity. I’ve noticed that at special times of year (my birthday) and with as each season moves to the next, my dreams increase in number and in frequency.

I've been a little absent from O&M of late and not by choice, though I accept that it's the divines will.

I was very low and I could feel my self getting worse so I took some time out and spent time with my mum. She her self is very unwell since her cancer scare late last year and that despite it now being confirmed she does not have cancer remains ill and without a diagnoses. This has taken it's toll on her mental health, given the original scare and having watched my father fight and die of cancer.

I thought that with the year is zomming past us, it's timely to remind folk that the next face to face Oak and Mistletoe Wiccan training program commences on May 17th for interested folk who live in Adelaide and who want to learn with us here in the coven.

Oh yeah! Many of you who know me will know about the gorgeous Doggy Shadow who follows me everywhere and is a constant companion. Well he "helped" me paint the treatment room today and now has green ear fur and a few geen patches where he "checked the workmanship". I also had a visit from the cats who sneaked in, and the very naughty Bailey promptly jumped up on the wet windowsill and then jumped back off onto the carpet. Nice pussy cat paint design over the carpet now too. Not origonally in my design plans for the room but what the heck!

I've had so many people ask me about thier Craft and Magickal names so I thought I'd re-publish the article I wrote on that for you here. If you want to see more articles that might be of interest you can find a stack of them here http://www.oakandmistletoe.com.au/useful-articles/useful-articles

As well as studying, I've been preparing my treatment room with the iminent arrival of my new massage table. The room will enable me to offer reiki and flower essence therapy and chakra clearing sessions to folk who need it or who would like some healing energy. I'm enjoying getting the room ready so I can put the "open for business" sign up so to speak.

today is my first day on my path to enlightenment it is currently 11.30 at night and i cant sleep through the excitement ive got uni in morning and i know that i will be tierd but i want to try and workout where everything on this site is and start my learning on lession on from tomorow. i hope to make friends within the group and be able to talk to them when i get stuck

well Merry Part for now

Snow wolf xxx

Want to win $150 worth of any goodies you like from the Oak and Mistletoe shop and you're a registered student with us? Then get you entry in quick http://www.oakandmistletoe.com.au/forum/new-competition-prize for the latest competition created by the wonderful DavidMichael, bless his cotton socks.

Merry Meet. This is my first blog, and it is a question. Do any of you happen to have any  helpful info about strange energies and or entities... maybe how to get rid of them?  While I was doing the lesson I am now on, I was to visit certain places and see if I could feel any energies or emotions of people that had once been there.

As I sit here with my clinique mask on my face pondering my journey as a witch, I wonder, can a witch be lax in his/her practice? I suppose they can and if so, I surely am.

I have not yet written in my nature diary this week as it has been absolutely cold outside. I've been practicing visualization and meditation as well as recording my dreams, however sparse.

I wake up between 10am and 12pm and stay on the computer most of the day only to go to bed between 12 and 1am.

I cannot believe how disorganised I've been since I gave up work! When working full time I used to do that, plus run Oak and Mistletoe, run the O & M shop and website, do reiki, write, edit the work of others, and a myraid of other things and that's not even mentioing contributing to my marriage and home life! Now, I'm struggling constantly to keep on top of a list that just seems to be growing longer rather than shorter now that supposedly I have more time.

It always gives me a huge thrill to announce the winners of the Oak and Mistletoe competitions. The winner this time, who gets a fantastic magical herb kit with over 60 herbs is... Butterfly Spirit! Congratulations and a huge hug from me!

Well the renovated garden is slowly taking shape and the next step is to create the new sacred circle area and set it up so it can be used by the coven and its visitors. The current suggestion is to use stamped concrete instead of pavers (saves weeding and easier to lay). The plan has a stone altar in the north and the stone slabs are sitting waiting already, to have a water feature in the west, the wind chimes and so forth in the east and red coloured plants in the south.

I’m a pretty liberal person. “Live and let live” I say and I don’t care if someone is black, white, green with red spots, old, young, intelligent, poor, likes steak and kidney pudding or has a pet poodle. I don’t care if they’re Christian, Wiccan, Buddhist or even believe that pigs will fly. But I do care if they don’t allow others to follow their own chosen faith no matter how obscure or unusual.  

Just lately I've been noticing the amazing artistry that people have for thier avatars on Facebook, on the Oak and Mistletoe website (www.oakandmistletoe.com.au) and all over the place. There are some truely stunning ones that people have designed themselves or adapted from other sources.

I've got three of them around the house, one in the lounge, one in the family room and one in my office. Love them BUT, for some reason the 2 bowl types (salt bowl with rocks in them) blow their bulbs literally after a day while the ordinary rock one (Just a single lump of rock with the bulb inside) has lasted near on a year before it's bulb blew this week.

Ok, so is there a link between Pagan time (Pagans always seem to be late for everything) and procrastination do you reckon? I have a chemistry exam that I must sit by tomorow at the latest which I've done absolutely no study for. I did tell myself I'd do it by Thursday, it's now Saturday and it ain't gonna happen today so I'm 3 days late sitting the thing!

So many episodes of out of control anger lately. A guy flies his plane into the tax dept in the US, a 13 year old boy stabs and kills a class mate in Brisbane, some looney sets fire to a dog because it barked all night, a guy wheels a trolley bomb into an insurance company in Darwin. What the?!

What exactly is the process whereby one person can be angry beyond words but keep it in check while another goes on a planned killing spree? What triggers someone to injure or kill a defenceless animal, their neighbour, thier partner, thier kids?

Well one week has passed and I'm very happy with my choice to join Oak and Mistletoe.

I've been meditating a few times, but I end up visualizing memories during my meditation. I'm not sure if this is supposed to occur, but it is quite a bit frustrating. Am I supposed to be freeing my mind? Meditating on a specific thing? Simply trying to acheive peace? I'm ver confused by this.

As I said, I end up visualizing mostly during my meditation. Is this correct? Ugh!

I will just learn as time goes on.

Had another dilema with the teenage daughter today Ketzia (who lives with her drop kick boyfriend - known as DK for drop kick for short) and it showed me just how important family is. Poor Ketzia had an argument with the DK and asked me if she could come home. Of course she can home! Sometimes you just want to pick your kids up and wrap them up so they don't hurt so much but of course I know I can't do that.

Well it's that time of year when the Council of Elders nominations for the Communtiy Church of Inclusive Wicca are due. CCIWI is a legally formed church which underpins Inclusive Wicca, Oak and Mistletoe and the Inclusive Wiccan covens forming around the world. CCIWi is also legally able to confer clergy status on those people who have met the criteria, and  it's failry strict folks, no quick fill in a form and whamo -here's your Reverand or High Grand Poo Bah of the Toilet Brush status!

As Oak and Mistletoe followers know, I try and post humour on the page at least once a day. I very much believe that you can be spiritual and still have a healthy sense of humour, even laugh at yourself in fact. What tickled my fancy today were the Zen Buddhist and Druid lightbulb jokes I found. Oldies but goodies. I'm a borderline Druid myself (member of ADF and OBOD blah blah) and sympathise with Zen philosphy so it's very tongue in cheek.

What an amazing array of wonderful entries so far in this competition for Oak and Miatletoe registered students. No doubt the incredible prize donated by David Michael has something to do with all the entries and what a prize it is! A magickal herb kit loaded with over 60 herbs for the winner.

So what's so special about the new moon? A number of things but most notably it's the point at which you can do spell work and meditative work that involves increasing/expanding/making something in your life stronger.

Merry meet everyone!

So I have successfully acquired copies of Paul Huson's 'Mastering Witchcraft,' as well as Andrew Chumbley's 'Azoetia.'

I have begun reading the Huson and I find it quite fascinating actually. It's different than anything I've ever read concering the history of witchcraft.

I look forward to completing this book and beginning the Chumbley.

Having lots of fun building a web site for a wonderful friend of mine, Tracy, who's book is about to be released so she wants a nice website to go with it. Tracy's book, "Kite Magic" is a childrens book and the story is around the Air element. Once released, there'll follow another book with a story for the Fire element, Water element and of course the Earth element.