Maintaining a relationship with Goddess requires the 
same care and attention I would give to any one I value 
in my life.  I invite her into my home often in the form of fresh flowers, sunlit windows or just opening my front door and 
inviting her to be with me in this space.

Often I find Goddess inviting me out to her.  I am very 
fortunate the area I live in has many parks with wooded
trails to wander around on.  When I venture out to observe 
the changes Mama Gaia goes through in my part of the world,
I take my nature bag.  I keep it filled and ready to go whenever
she beckons me.  

Items in my nature bag include:

* A blank book journal: My current one is made from scrap leather.

* Field guide to wildlife in our area. I found some laminated cards in our local bookstore. Easy to carry and the pictures are great! 

* Pen and/or colored pencils. I make notes about what birds, trees and plants I've discovered.  

* A camera or camera phone.  Super important to remember: stop and make notes in the blank book then the page is ready for  pictures to go right in. 

* Bottle of water and a snack.  Some times I  find myself carried away with the beauty I find and this serves the purpose of coming back into my body and grounding.

I often take my kiddo out and he includes some fun goodies 
of his own:

* Binoculars 

* Spy Glass

* Compass

* baggies or other treasure storage containers

I hope you will pack a nature bag and be carried off on 
your own Gaian adventure.

I held her shoulders for a moment and looked deeply into her eyes. There I saw her...really saw her as I moved in to give her a hug.
I held her close on the first breath and it felt merely functional. By breath two, the hug was an actual greeting. But breath three? Oh, breath three my friend, that is where the magic lives.

Sometimes it doesn't happen until breath four or five but the magic is always there.
The person sort of melts into the hug. They are transformed as if a great burden is being lifted off their shoulders. And I transform too. We both become our true selves again. Spirit in body making the divine visible in that moment.

Hugging in this way becomes a gift of healing for the world weary souls of both parties.

Jamie asks who do I wish to give or send a hug?

I wish to hug you.

Autumn is in the air and most of the kids 
have started back to school.  For the first time 
since I started homeschooling I didn't feel that 
pull to hurry up and get started.  

We've been gently easing into the transition 
from our summer rhythm into our autumn rhythm.  
One of the things I'm doing to help with that is to 
spruce up our nature table which has been sadly 
neglected with the busy~ness of summer activities.  

Because we're in the southern US things haven't started 
taking on any of the autumn colors but we'll gradually bring
that in with some leaf print flags we made last year and watch
carefully for signs that Mama Gaia is changing her gown.  

Today Jamie asks, "what do you wish to learn?"

One thing I've learned about homeschooling is I can set a 
pace that is nourishing and sustainable for my son.  Though 
my inner critic tells me how much more I 'should' be doing to 'make' my son learn, my intuition tells me cramming information into him and hoping most of it sticks isn't the best way for me
to encourage him to develop a love of  learning.   

Goddess knows I have education horror stories. I hope to 
spare my son those.

As a mama business owner, I look around at people who
inspire me and see how they are able to create products and services at a pace that leaves me feeling dizzy.  My inner critic tells me of how I 'should' be doing this business building more quickly than I am.  
For me these 'should' carries ride a cresting feeling of inadequacy 
because there is absolutely nothing wrong with going at a 
pace that nourishes and sustains me.  As I learn better ways 
of doing things in my business, it naturally shifts me into a higher
gear.  

I wish to learn to create my business the way I create homeschool; at a pace that nourishes and sustains me while giving me the flexibility and freedom to homeschooling my son in a nourishing and sustainable way.  

I see Goddess as a real...living within me and all around me. 
I am fortunate to have dedicated  with Kuan Yin, Bast, Isis and Athena. I take my relationship with  and dedication to each of these Goddesses very seriously.  Though I love formal ritual, I found the trapping stopped me from connecting to her as often 
as I wanted to.  It just isn't practical for this homeschooling tea priestess.

I make a special effort to connect with her throughout my daily
activities.

Part of my personal practice right now is to consciously choose one thing each day from my to do list to honor them.   Today I do laundry in honor of Kuan Yin.  I sing her mantra as I sort, transfer from washer to dryer and fold clothes.  

Taking care of clothes doesn't feel like a chore today.
It feels like a gift of service.

Such is the way of a modern priestess.  I suspect ancient priestesses did the same.  

                                         *****************

There is still time to join the fall session of 
The Way of Tea which starts on 17 September.
Click here for the details!

I am a hobbit.  I love beautiful things
Rich desserts, vibrant colors,  and luxurious
textures.  Such finery is my kryptonite.  
I also love the simple elegance of delicate 
patterns and handmade goods
 
I love Goddess deeply.  I see her inside of me 
and all around me.  Not just archetypally
but real...breathing...alive.
She is living through me.

I resisted her calling for a long time but I've 
come to accept this is part of who I was born 
to be.  And I wouldn't have my path to her be 
any other way.

I laugh heartily and love deeply.  I grieve loss 
as passionately as I celebrate new beginnings.

I integrate fun into the seriousness  of spiritual work.  
I speak geek and weave geek into my Priestessing
any time I can.

I am slow to change.
It takes me a very long time
to get things together.  

I sneak peaks at all possible outcomes 
in choose your own adventure books 
before picking which one I want.  I wish 
life was that way.

I suck at letting go.  

Even when I know something or someone is 
not in alignment with my highest good. 
I puzzle endlessly over disagreements trying 
desperately to make things alright between us.  
And I mourn that loss too.  Sometimes years later.

I forget my boundaries and let my 
fear take control.  I am so much 
more afraid than I thought 
possible since my mom died.

And somehow I still manage to find my way. 

I reach out.

I seek

I share what I've learned.  

I keep moving forward
No matter how slowly

I keep. moving. forward.