Month: February 2012

It Is Finally Thursday! Yahoo, Happy Thursday, dear friends!

Good Morning Pictures, Images, Comments, Graphics
Good morning, my lovelies! I hope everyone has a terrific Thursday today! This is the second time, I have sat down to do this. I figured I would have peace and quiet. Boy, was I wrong! Everyone (hubby and critters) are asleep except for Razzy (wildcat). She is wound up like a tornado. Hopefully now, she is calm down and I can get something done.

I have been getting up at 3 a.m., for I don’t know how long now. I know some of you are probably wondering how I ever get anything done. I am blogging all the time. When I get up at 3, I clean or pick up the house (whatever needs to be done). Then I watch the morning news and take my medication for my back. It generally knocks me out for a few hours. Then I am blogging away. Right now, this blog is about the only thing I actually enjoy doing. I enjoy doing it because I love the Goddess and I am doing Her work. Also we are totally broke and I have no money to do anything. So I stay at home the biggest part of the time. And why sit and twiddle my thumbs, when I love this!

At one time in my life, I had my future planned out. It was going to be a beautiful future too. My husband worked at a local plant and he made good money. He had went out and surprised me with a new truck. The reason being, I had an Explorer that we had decked out. It was a sharp Explorer but my husband hated it. He had his mind made up I was going to get killed in it. So he bought me the new truck.  One morning, his work truck needed the exhaust system fixed. This is when I was working at the family’s auto repair garage. I was going to take it to the garage that day and get it fixed. I never made it to the garage that day. I got a phone call from the hospital at 7 in the morning. My husband had been involved in a serious wreck and he was driving my Explorer. I didn’t care about the car but I was crazy worrying about hubby. I flew to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, I had the radio on and they announced the wreck on radio. Used my husband’s name and everything, even included he was seriously injured. I liked to have died.  When I got to the hospital, he was laying on a stretcher with his head busted all to pieces. He had a huge hole in his head from the front of his head all the way to the crown. All around his head was this goop, I thought it was his brains. This stuff looked like chicken liver. I never seen anything like it. He thought he was dying. He started telling me where this was and what I needed to do. I told him to shut up, he wasn’t fixing to die. About six doctors came into exam him and I had to step out. Outside was a sheriff’s deputy and he wanted to talk to me about the wreck. He told me that my Explorer was hit so hard that the door hinges broke and my husband was throwed from it. He bounced about 150 feet down a concrete road on his head. They found hubby laying out in the middle of the road. The idiot driving the other truck was going so fast, he had hit our truck twice. So the Explorer was totalled to say the least. When the doctors called me back in, they had decided to airlift my husband to a major hospital in Nashville. This scared me to death, I felt my strong will crumble. I thought he might die. The attendants in the copter kept telling me, he was going to make it. Don’t worry. So he stayed at the hospital in Nashville for a day or two. My husband got pissed because he was in the ICU unit and we couldn’t stay with him. So I think he raised so much hell that he got threw out. So he came home and it took him 8 months to recover from the wreck. The savings I had saved up went. We had to eat and keep place to live. I also had my new truck repossessed. I tried to kill those SOB’s. We weren’t even 90 days behind in the payments but they took it anyway.

So after I regained my senses from that, my husband went back to work for about a year. I tried to start my savings again but that was a laugh. I had to catch everything up that was behind. But hubby was saving money for his retirement were we could go and travel. Well he got laid off last January. He reassured me everything would be fine. He would draw the highest amount of unemployment you could draw. Well that turned out to be true for about 6 months. We went from $489 a week to $116 a week. Talking about a culture shock, I had a bad one. I just threw my arms up in the air and asked the Universe why me? What little money I had saved up, went in a heart beat.  We almost ran through all the money he had saved up too. So he decided since there wasn’t any work, he would retire. We drew his first pension check this January. But we are back at square one, trying to catch up on everything that was behind. I have lived like this the whole time I have been married to him. He has always worked construction. In construction, the money is good but the work is never steady. You get money saved up and just as you think everything is going to be fine, he is laid off. You have to start living off of what you have saved up. A never-ending vicious cycle. So we are broke again.

I am not telling you this because I want your pity. I am telling you this because I want you to understand why I am blogging all the time. Hell, I would like to live the dream I had when hubby retired. I had thought we could travel and go places and see things. He has started saving money again but we probably won’t never be back to where we were. But perhaps, we might be able to go to Nashville or Louisville for the weekend, some day. I got a laptop so I am ready to go. See you would never even miss me.

I have just put my faith in the Goddess. I keep telling Her, I would just love to go and do something before I die. Perhaps one day, I can tell you I am sitting on the beach in Florida, catching some rays! Yeah right, I am a red-head. You know what happens to red-heads in the sun. We cook!

Anyway I have to run for now and get to work. I hope you have a terrific Thursday!

Goddess Bless You,

Lady A

Air Witch Lore – Dragons and Serpents

Air Witch Lore – Dragons and Serpents

The ancient Aztecs depicted the element of ai as a large feathered serpent who would “swim” across the skies. He was known as the god Quetzalcoatl. Curiously enough, such air creatures are found in many mythologies. The Japanese have a similar creature, without the feathers, in the Oriental dragon. Other beings of this sort are the rainbow snake (African) and the world snake (Egyptian).

Humans have documented sightings of these creatures since the year 793. The last recorded encounter with a sky serpent was as recent as November 29, 1983 in Maryland, and was witnessed by multiple people.

Sky serpents/dragons have shown themselves all over the world. In India, the primary home of colored rains, there is said to be a sky dragon whose urine will rot the skin of all it touches. Sky serpents are said to cluster around frankincense trees due to the pleasing aroma.

In China, sky dragons are seen s benevolent, wise and protective creatures. They live for thousands of years.

Air Witch Lore – Sylphs and Fairy Folk

Air Witch Lore – Sylphs and Fairy Folk

Sylphs are the nature spirits that inhabit air. They weave together the fabric of thoughts, dreams, communication, breathing, destruction and secrets. Thought to be offspring of the Sidhe, sylphs are small in stature, transparent, and winged and they move very quickly. Sylphs sometimes take on the form of birds and other times clouds. At one time they were believed to favor virgins with their kinship. It is thought that sylphs control the winds and weather.

The Banshee is a member of the fairy realm that particularly relates to ai. Described as a wailing shrouded figure with red eyes, the Banshee is thought to warn of impending death. Considered by some to be an aspect of the Morrigan, the Banshee is seen as a withered old crone with unkempt gray hair.

Italian folklore presents fairies that like to ride the noonday winds and steal kisses. Similar fairies appear as grasshoppers or as short gentlemen and women who are well dressed. Wind spirits are known to be playful and mischievous.

Modern society views almost all fairies as being of an airborne nature. Tinkerbell, the Disney character, is  manifestation of that view. Magick transports itself primarily through the vehicle of air, although in an etheric form, so the correspondence between the two is reasonable, if a bit misguided.

LAVENDER LOVE LETTER

LAVENDER LOVE LETTER

To write a successful love letter, rub the entire sheet of stationary with lavender before you start writing.
Use Dove’s blood ink when possible. If you use the Lavender and ink as prescribed the recipient will
be unable to resist whatever you ask or offer. This method can be used for business letters as
successfully as personal ones.

SPELL TO FIND THE IDEAL PARTNER

SPELL TO FIND THE IDEAL PARTNER

It involves a piece of amber, and a red cloth to carry it in.
For 7 days, one needs to hold the amber for at least a few minutes each day, and think about
the qualities that you want your ideal boyfriend or girlfriend to have.
By the 7th day, you should have met that person.
Of course, the spell isn’t to be used on a specific person

LOVE SPELL

LOVE SPELL

Gather seven small stones and place them in a circle.
In the middle of the circle, scatter a handful of rose petals and apple seeds.
Place a lodestone directly in the middle of the circle. Chant the following:
Rose petals and apples Dragons and stone
Draw nigh true love So I am no longer alone
Mist of the Dragon Breath of the night
Draw from the universe Perfect love that is right.

APPLE LOVE SPELL

APPLE LOVE SPELL

Cut an apple in half and carve your initials on the inside of one half, and theirs on the inside of the other.
Close them back together with a sewing needle in each, loosely threaded together by red thread.
Hang this from the tree it came from with a pink ribbon, and
chant: Apple of love, leaf of tree, find him, bind him, now to me.”

ENCHANTING YOURSELF SPELL

ENCHANTING YOURSELF SPELL

Go to a flower shop and find a red rose, the best one that you can find.
Take it home and say these words,
“Whatever it is that (she) is attracted to is contained within this rose.”
Visualize rose colored energy coming from your genitals into the rose.
Now crush the rose into powder and keep it in a small package.
Lace some of your key chain with it everyday you know that you will see her.
When you do, put your hand in your pocket and touch the keys.

FIRE OF LOVE SPELL

FIRE OF LOVE SPELL

Ingredients: honey wax
Honey and wax are doubly bewitching, as both are made from bees.
Take a red or pink candle and anoint with honey to draw someone to you.
Carve both your names into the candle and surround the names with a heart.
Burn on the new moon to attract a new lover or on a full moon to strengthen a relationship
that is already in progress. Burn a white candle anointed with honey if you want to heal a
relationship. This is best done on a new moon the honey will sweeten the wounds and the
burning wax will purify any surrounding negativity and seal in the white light and protective
vibrations of love.

SPELL TO ATTRACT THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE

SPELL TO ATTRACT THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE

you will need: A sampler size of your favorite scent A pink candle
First carve a heart in your candle with a tack or toothpick. Light the candle
in a window where it will receive moonlight (full moon light is best).
Put the scent container in front of the candle and say:
Venus, grant me the love that I lack;
Through this scent, my mate attract!
Let the candle burn out naturally, then carry the scent with you,
spraying on a little whenever you are out or may be meeting people.
Increase the power of the magic by repeating the invocation as you put on the scent!

KISSING SPELL

KISSING SPELL

Take a red color lipstick and draw a lip print on a piece of white paper,
then take a red candle and light and burn the paper in an ashtray while chanting:
“Kiss me when we meet ,
Kiss me {mention persons Full………. name
Greet me with your lips, and say you missed me.
But most of all kiss me as a lover should do Magic kisses so I will love you
Kiss me softly and by me always stay our love will last forever as you kiss me today…”
Don’t forget to visualize the person you want to kiss you , and conjure love .

LOVE POTION

LOVE POTION

You’ll need a few large apples, cinnamon, yarrow, spring water, salt, and a enameled or cast-iron saucepan.
These are often associated with love and passion.
If it is to your orientation, it is often helpful to bless or consecrate these components.
Concentrate on your goal while preparing this potion:
Slice the apples place them into the saucepan, coat with cinnamon, and cover with yarrow.
Put in enough water to submerge the contents and add a small sprinkling of salt.
Stir clockwise on low heat, incanting a love charm of your own making.
Bring to a simmer for about 90 minutes, strain and place into a dark jar.
Put a few drops into your favorite aftershave or cologne and wear it every 4 days.
The magic stays after the scent fades.

Spell of the Day for February 14th – MOONSTONE LOVE SPELL

MOONSTONE LOVE SPELL


Supplies: 2 candles (l pink and 1 white), cinnamon, a moonstone (optional)
Place the candles on the alter, the pink one to the left and the white on to the right.
Cast a circle and light the candles. If you have a moonstone, place it on the alter.
Invite the Goddess to join you, for you will be needing her help.
Next, sprinkle the cinnamon in a figure-eight pattern around the two candles.
As you sprinkle the cinnamon, speak these words aloud:
“Oh Great Goddess of the light,
Bring me happiness, true and bright!
May a new love so true come to me!
So mote it be! Thank the Goddess and close the circle.
Either let the candles burn out, or snuff them out. Do not blow the flames out!

Crystal of the Day for Feb. 14th – Thulite

Thulite
  Colours: Pink, Rose, White, Red, Grey
Source: Norway
Availability: Can be obtained from Specialist Stores
Energy: Feminine
Planet: Venus
Element: Water

Chakra: Heart
 
Spiritual Uses: Said to balance the lower four chakras. Brings one quickly into an altered state of consciousness.
Emotional Uses: Encourages expression of passion and sexual feelings. Helps build rapport and overcoming shyness and low self-confidence.
Physical Uses: Breathing problems, intestinal problems, relives PMT, weight loss and fertility.
Magickal Properties: Psychic ability, deepends meditation, healing, love, creativity. Excellent stone of protection for children.

Herb of the Day for Feb. 14th – High John the Conqueror

High John the Conqueror

Latin Name: Ipomoea jalapa
Common Names: John the Conqueror, Bindweed, Jalap Root
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire

Folklore: John the Conqueror is spoken of often in African American folklore and is frequently considered to be quite magically potent, particularly among Hoodoo traditions.

It has been written of and referenced for these purposes by numerous famous Blues singers including Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and Bo Diddley, making it quite the iconic among that community and culture.
Magickal Uses: Essential ingredient in mojo bags, Good Luck, Strength, Overcome Obstacles, Powerful Protection against Negative Energy and Curses, Sex Magick, Attraction.

Deity of the Day for Feb. 14th – Venus

Venus

Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and military victory. She played a key role in many Roman religious festivals. From the third century BC, the increasing Hellenization of Roman upper classes identified her as the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Roman mythology made her the divine mother of Aeneas, the Trojan ancestor of Rome’s founder, Romulus.

In myth, Venus-Aphrodite was born of sea-foam. Roman theology presents Venus as the yielding, watery female principle, essential to the generation and balance of life. Her male counterparts in the Roman pantheon, Vulcan and Mars, are active and fiery. Venus absorbs and tempers the male essence, uniting the opposites of male and female in mutual affection. She is essentially assimilative and benign, and embraces several otherwise quite disparate functions, She can give military victory, sexual success, good fortune and prosperity. In one context, she is a goddess of prostitutes; in another, she turns the hearts of men and women from sexual vice to virtue.

Special Kitty of the Day for Feb. 14th

UtchieB, the Cat of the Day
Name: UtchieB
 Age: Eighteen months old
Gender: Male
 Kind: Sphynx
Home: East Hartford, Connecticut, USA
UtchiB, as I call him, came from a backyard breeder. She was a very young woman who didn’t know what she was doing. I had lost my beautiful ten-year-old soulmate Sphynx, MooShoo on my birthday, February 13th from thrombosis.

I swore I would always have a beautiful Sphynx in my life, but only a rescue will do. I searched for over a year to find AustinButchie. When I took the hour-long road trip, I didn’t know what to expect. The breeder told me she was in over her head, and proceeded to bring a cat carrier full of beautiful nekkids down for me to see. Out popped UtchieB!!! He was a wild man, running all over the place. He was older than the other kittens, but I found his playfulness intriguing. Later on, I realized that he was probably the runt of his litter, as he is very small for his age. He is goofy, charming and a purr machine.

UtchieB wanted nothing to do with his carrier, insisting on riding on my shoulders, purring all the way home. As far as gradually introducing him to my fur crew? Well, let’s just say he kept climbing over the babygates I had stacked in my bedroom door to be with the gang. The rest is history.

UtchieB was entered into his first cat show shortly after that. While he did “okay” in the Household Pet category of the TICA show, a judge friend said he definitely needs to be shown as a purebred alter. Unfortunately, I do not have his papers so that wasn’t an option. He is happiest being housecat, though. And that’s okay with me!!

Dog-gone Doggie of the Day for Feb. 14th

Wilson, the Dog of the Day
Name: Wilson
 Age: Six years old
Gender: Male Breed: Miniature Poodle
Home: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Wilson is my adopted shelter dog who is the subject of my children’s books, “Wilson Gets Adopted” and “Wilson Learns Manners” – which helps children learn manners, too – and the spring release will be “Wilson and the White House Pups.” I post Wilson in costumes on his website, Wilson Gets Adopted.com.

I found Wilson on Petfinder, I was looking for a small non allergenic dog to be compatible with my two Havanese. He was four years old then, and he is six now. His first book tells, of course, of his adoption, but it starts with his early life – he ended up in rescue because his former owner was an elderly man who got sick, and couldn’t keep him anymore.

Wilson is friendly, loves to be in front of the camera and be on TV shows. As he was a rescue, I thought he might be mixed with Bichon or some other breed, but we had DNA testing done, and he’s purebred poodle! So that proves you can find purebred dogs in rescue!

He learned tricks when he came to live with us, SIT, FETCH, PAW, DOWN, STAY, and he was an apartment dog with his first owner, so my two dogs taught him to go outside. He loves being dressed up – the attention and the treats are part of the deal!

Wilson is a true “lap dog“, if I let him, he would stay on my lap all day! He gives kisses and snuggles. He’s the best.

About the Dogs & Cats that are featured on this site….

I have had several of you ask me how to nominate your pet. You will find that information below. The way I understand it, they need pets or other critters to feature. So good luck and hopefully, I will be able to feature your pet here one day!

We always need more
animals to be Pet of the Day!

To nominate your pet, (it’s free)
send the following information to Pet@PetoftheDay.com.

All pets are eligible – birds, bunnies, cats, dogs, ferrets, fish, gerbils, goats, guinea pigs, hamsters, horses, iguanas, lizards, mice, pigs, ponies, rats, snakes, turtles, and more.
 

1) E-mail us a clear picture of your pet.

Please use JPEG (JPG), PNG, or Photoshop’s format.
We prefer large colorful images.

If you have several photos please send them all, we may use a couple of them. If you have a movie or sound file please attach that too or include a link to them (from site such as YouTube).

2) Include the following information:

Pet’s name,
Pet’s age,
Pet’s species or breed,
Pet’s city/state/country of residence.
You do not have to indicate your city or state if you are uncomfortable sharing this information.

Tell us what makes your pet special!

3) Include your email address.

If your pet is selected, we will email you so that
you know which day is your pet’s special day.

We will not give your email address to anyone else.

Please be sure that your email address is correct otherwise we can not contact you.
If you have any questions please email us at help@PetoftheDay.com

All material submitted becomes the property of Pet of the Day and all copyrights are assigned to us. This is to protect us and prevent others from reusing your work. You do, however, retain the rights to your material for your own use.

The History of Valentine’s Day

The History of Valentine’s Day

The origins of Valentine’s Day trace back to the ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia. Held on February 15, Lupercalia honored the gods Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.

In addition to a bountiful feast, Lupercalia festivities are purported to have included the pairing of young women and men. Men would draw women’s names from a box, and each couple would be paired until next year’s celebration.

While this pairing of couples set the tone for today’s holiday, it wasn’t called “Valentine’s Day” until a priest named Valentine came along. Valentine, a romantic at heart, disobeyed Emperor Claudius II’s decree that soldiers remain bachelors. Claudius handed down this decree believing that soldiers would be distracted and unable to concentrate on fighting if they were married or engaged. Valentine defied the emperor and secretly performed marriage ceremonies. As a result of his defiance, Valentine was put to death on February 14.

After Valentine’s death, he was named a saint. As Christianity spread through Rome, the priests moved Lupercalia from February 15 to February 14 and renamed it St. Valentine’s Day to honor Saint Valentine.

What’s Cupid Got to Do with It?

According to Roman mythology, Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Cupid was known to cause people to fall in love by shooting them with his magical arrows. But Cupid didn’t just cause others to fall in love – he himself fell deeply in love.

As legend has it, Cupid fell in love with a mortal maiden named Psyche. Cupid married Psyche, but Venus, jealous of Psyche’s beauty, forbade her daughter-in-law to look at Cupid. Psyche, of course, couldn’t resist temptation and sneaked a peek at her handsome husband. As punishment, Venus demanded that she perform three hard tasks, the last of which caused Psyche’s death.

Cupid brought Psyche back to life and the gods, moved by their love, granted Pysche immortality. Cupid thus represents the heart and Psyche the (struggles of the) human soul.

Fun Facts

  • Approximately 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year. Half of those are sent through Care2 (OK, maybe not HALF… or even half of half… but we are growing fast!)
  • In order of popularity, Valentine’s Day cards are given to: teachers, children, mothers, wives, sweethearts, Koko the gorilla.
  • The expression “wearing your heart on your sleeve” comes from a Valentine’s Day party tradition. Young women would write their names on slips of paper to be drawn by young men. A man would then wear a woman’s name on his sleeve to claim her as his valentine.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

care2.com