Dark Pagan Rede

I have been so busy this weekend, as my daughter Sarah arrives from Melbourne in 13 days (yes I am counting) it has been only seven weeks since I have seen her, but I am missing her to bits.. I really want the house in order before she arrives.. My man and I went out most of the day on one of my least favourite past time, shopping... and then putting in a few more veg and herb plants when I got home..Yesterday my mother in law to be gave me the most beautiful hydrangea, so it is now housed in a pot on the patio.. Y'all need to remind me not to do this moving thing again, as I am feeling like a kid in a candy store going from one thing to another, feeling antsy and unstructured, I feel I have even lost my ability to write almost... What I need is a morning with my Goddess, just being STILL! As it is Monday here tomorrow I may in fact just do that.. But in the mean time, one thing I found today while cleaning out a folder from an ecoven I am a member of is this wonderful piece of poetry that you may or may not have read.. I love it.. So thought to share with you all..

The Dark Pagan Rede
We are Witches, we are ancients those that stand out among shadows. We are weavers, healers and shamans, and warriors, judge and jury and this is our Creed. Do not offend but defend, give your kin a house if they have no home, remember in all forms are we the goddesses children in one way or another. She is the weaver, the threader and the cutter of life no matter what name she is called, she is the great mother, the All, the source. Know the great dance and the Spiral is never ending and your day's walk long and most often someone will try and break your paths but when the wolves tear at your heels, remember only the hardest paths are the paths worth walking.
Life will not be without troubles, fights, hardships and we are not witches too get nor gain for that is but an empty path that leads too greed and the ruin of your soul. We are the witches, singers, shamans, dreamers, weavers, healers and warriors of the wild winds, in the storms and in the fury of the storm and of life. Our knowledge is all knowing, yet we continue too learn things everyday, as is our right. Treat your kin with as much respect as you wish too be treated and you can not be lead astray.
Treasure everyday as it were your last, cherishing the beauty of all life and all things. Protect this rugged earth mother as best you can. Honour her. Even if it is but a rock, know that it to has its own spirit. Life is everywhere, and magick can be breathed in as its purest essence.
Know as the Goddesses child, no matter what you call her she is always there beside you, inside you and with you. Believe this always and you will never be forsaken, even when there is a lesson too be learnt that she must teach you, even if that lesson whips you across the face, it has purpose and reason.
Keep your eyes and your ears open, and listen not only with the physical eye, but the astral ones, for their are signs in all things. In the wind, the rain, the sky and the deep earth. Never look back on your past until you feel you are ready, and remember we have a long way to go. There is strength in the darkness, in shadows and also in the Light, and shadows can not exist without perfect balance of Light and Dark. We are the children of grey Magick, and its power is thine to wield! May the Goddess keep you and bless you in all things, always. Go In strength, love, peace and honour be blessed in unity.

The original poem was written by a witch in the 1960's; this version is what is remembered by a witch by the name of Morrigan Stormraven and she simply asks that she be given credit The Copyrighted Dark pagan's Rede 2.0 sole

Litha - Yule and Christmas

While many of you celebrate Yule, we south of the Equator will be celebrating Summer Solstice - forget about Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping on your nose -down here it is steak on the barbecue and sand between your toes.. While I will be celebrating Summer Solstice on the 22nd, I still have non Pagan family who enjoy traditional Christmas, so I do both. I have an altar dedicated to Litha in the family room and in the lounge room the families’ tree will be up ( no it's not there yet lol)
I am so not prepared this year, nothing much is organised which is so very unlike me.. I have made the Christmas cake and am now totally second guessing myself, as I decided for reasons beyond me to stare away from my tried and true, been using it forever recipe for a new low cholesteral one.. I can feel another baking sessions coming on .. I am planning on doing a bit of work on my other blog The Witches Kitchen over the next few days and tossing in a few Christmas recipes including my best ever - fruit, egg, butter, brandy, girth expanding tried and true Christmas cake!

Dawn the Camera and me

Well as promised I have spent a few minutes organising and resizing a few photos that I shot on the trip from the East coast of Australia to where we are now on the West roughly 3450km away. Surprising as it may seem to some, Australia is actually the size of the American Continent but with about the population of greater LA . Most of the bigger cities and population is over on the East Coast. Here on the West Coast Perth the largest city and the surrounding areas have about 1.5 million people..lol.. not that this has anything to do with photos. Perhaps it was explaining the travel time from East to West..

The usual three days we spread to four, mainly for R & R reasons, well actually I wanted to stop at this little German tourist town called Handorf.. Welllllllllllllllll we stopped for a night, thank the Goddess it was just a night, we pulled in about 4pm, tired and weary after a full days driving, to find Handorf closes at 5pm even on a Friday night, We did manage to find a German pub for a few rather pleasant ales and a traditional German meal.. My mother would have been proud that I tossed up my comfort zone chicken Parma meal for the traditional fare of my youth. German Rouladen .. oh divine- tender beef wrapped around bacon, dill pickles and poached in a dark German stout, served with a generous helping of sauerkraut and boiled baby potatoes. It was the best thing about the visit.. getting back to the motel about 9pm we were then to find bed was broken, so after phoning reception and debating about fixing it with a screw driver, we where issued with a new room! .. bliss I thought, as I filled up the newly acquired spa bath only to find on closer inspection it was filthy dirty.. by this stage I was so over it, I showered, climbed into bed and took a call from my precious daughter.. who said on parting "Mum, I hoped they changed the bed linen".. Bless her.

The trip did get better. Two days later at 5am seen us leaving Midura Pass, an outback roadhouse, where I might add we had an amazing evening with the locals (four of them) and the new owners two weeks into there new life here from Zimbabwe .. I digress.. again.. it was pitch black and after endlessly straining my eyes for Kangaroos, I glanced in the car side mirror to see a miracle un folding... When I got out of the car to take these, my heart was pounding, I felt such an incredible sense of awe and wonder as this beautiful sight, there was a cold soft rain falling and an unseasonmally cool desert wind but it mattered not, the photos do not do this sunrise justice, but I thank the the Goddess for such beauty.
I have kept the photos in sequence...

Sun, Wind and Soil

Well, I have just climbed out of a steamy herbal bath, pulled on my PJ's and made a hot chocolate, a perfect way to end a wonderful if not very busy day. We have whats called the Freemantle Doctor here, a breeze starting around early to mid afternoon blowing in off the Indian Ocean, it is cooling to the skin so people like me who are not used to it, forget that the suns still shining... and end up a tad scorched.. however sun scorched or not today has been truly lovely, it has been one of the more settled and homely days I have had since moving in here 2 weeks ago.

The day dawned bright and clear, with a wonderful blue sky and not a cloud in view. We decided to head off early to a car boot sale, a suitable substitute for the craft markets I am used to back East, however one mans trash is still another mans treasure and a bargain was to be found in the way of plants... I love nothing more than looking for, looking at and bringing home all measure of greenery from stalls an markets and bring home I did.

Our new house has a "new house landscaped garden" don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for the garden and I do enjoy the plants here but they are put in for very practical reasons and often not planted for longevity.. such are the gardens in Navy houses.... so I have often found the best way to make a practical garden is with containers.. This is what I spent most of today doing.. as well as turning over a patch of ground for some vegetables, the soil is pretty sandy being this close to the coast but it is now home to Roma tomatoes, two types of lettuce, Silver Beet (you might know that as Swiss Chard) Zucchinis and Dwarf beans.. In large pots I have put up Rosemary, Mint, Parsley, Thyme and Coriander as well as several Lavenders and Rose Geraniums. Tomorrow I still have to pot red Petunias and white Periwinkles which are perfect for the hot drought conditions we can get here.

I am actually looking forward to tomorrow, my Dh is heading back to work after a months long service leave ( Nooooo that's not what I am looking forward too) so I have plans to *cleanse* the house, soak the fruit for the Christmas cake and fruit mince tarts and maybe make a few batches of shortbread - and work on posting some photos in here.. I have some awesome shots of the Sun rising over the Nulabor.. Blessings

Resolution Of A Witch

I have so many things to put in here... yet I have little time at the minute.. so while I am gathering thoughts, filing photos of the new house, the trip across country, getting my veg garden and herb patch planted, as well as juggling job interviews - I will leave you with this wonderful poem by Rae Beth.. I so love this and wanted to share.. come Monday I shall take some deep breaths, post some piccies and share sometime here with my blog.. Thank you also to those who have sent well wishes to us, they have been graciously received..Blessings to you all.. now to the wonderful words of Rae Beth...

RESOLUTION OF A WITCH
May I be as the one who weaves the clothIn a forest, deep hidden.
May I sit at the work, uninterrupted. And may I remain an outcast, if that is what it takes.
May I know the seasonal procession in my spirit and in my body, celebrate cross quarters, solstices and equinoxes.
May each Full Moon find me looking upwards, at trees out lined on luminous sky.
May I hold wildflowers.
May I cup them in my hand.
May I then release them, unpicked, to live on in abundance.
May my friends be of the kind who are at ease with silence.
May they and I be innocent of pretension.
May I be capable of gratitude.
May I knowThat I was given joy, like mother's milk.
May I know this as my dog does, in her bones and blood.
May I speak the truth about happiness and painIn songs that sound of the scent of rosemary,as everyday and ancient, kitchen-herb strong.
May I not incline to self-righteousness or self-pity.
May I approach the high earthworks and the stone circles? As fox or moth, and disturb the place no more than that.
May my gaze be direct and my hand steady.
May my door be open to those who dwell outside wealth and fame and privilege.
May those who have never walked barefoot never find the path that leads up to my door.
May they be lost on the labyrinthine journey.
May they turn back, and may I sit beside the fire in winter and see in the glowing logs what is to come,Yet never feel the need to warn or to advise, unasked.
May I sit upon a plain wooden chair, in true contentment.
May the place where I live be as the forest.
May there be track ways where there are caves and pools and trees and flowers, animals and birds, all known to me and revered, loved.
May my existence change the world no more nor less than the gusting of winds, or the proud growth of trees. For this, I go in cast-off clothes.
May I keep faith, always.
May I never find excuses for the expedient.
May I know that I have no choice, and yet still make the choice as the song is made, in joy, and with consideration.
May I make the same choice every day, again.When I fail, may I know forgiveness for myself.
May I dance naked, unafraid to face my own reflection.
By Rae Beth                                              

A place to call home.

I am back - if not feeling a tad like a train wreck presently.. What an emotional journey with a huge learning curve for me it has been - a long whirlwind 3 weeks, looking back almost surreal at times. This shift was almost harder for me, than when I immigrated to this country.. in all honesty I am not sure why I did this so hard.. However we are so close to being finally settled .. In the last 7 days we finally found a brand new house, Thank the Goddess, this house is a beautiful Blessing.. specially after the phone call 3 weeks ago saying the house we originally chose had a serious electrical fault and we couldn't have it, we were 7 hours into a 4 day drive across the country when that call came, I was so gutted.. we were *homeless so to speak* but I have found that with letting go comes some acceptance and blessings.. Getting used to living in suburbs will be a definite different, I do miss the huge Blue Gums, the birds and the bush however I stumbled upon a Pagan store within days off being here, and was welcomed by three beautiful witches.. I hope to get to know them better and get more involved in the pagan community here...
Our new home is in a place called Secret Harbour - it has a garden, a couple of trees that will be beautiful when they have grown some.. the house has far more room then I can possibly think to use.. and the kitchen well it is almost the size of the whole house we had back East.. it is also a very peaceful house, unlike the one we left... There is a wonderful area in the house that beckoned me to it within minutes and will become my sacred space and I can't wait to really make it my own..
We moved in last Friday and have almost got it almost ship shape - the Internet finally got connected this afternoon.... A car transporter arrived last night and dropped off the Land Rover which pleased my wee dog no end, he loves the Landy and he himself has been so unsettled, taken from the only home he knew, flown across and then was then kenneled for 10 days.. so I have been trying to take him most places with me... tomorrow is another busy day, but after that apart from job hunting things should start to feel more balanced.. It is my hope this post hasn't been to hard to follow, I appreciate tiredness has made me a little less able to string coherent sentences together... Over the next week I will post one or two of my favourite photos from the drive across this huge Continent as well as a few of our new house...
Bright Blessings to you all

From East to West

Blows of the dust of the pages and gently brushes aside the cobwebs -
It has been so long since I have posted anything ... No Hedge and Hearth has not become another abandoned journal left to decay in cyberland..
What have I been doing then you ask? Well moving 2165 miles from Melbourne to the other side of Australia and doing it the hard way this time.. this trip with a certain degree frustration and yes lots of tears,. but we are now firmly ensconced in Western Australia, sort of homeless presently but here none the less.. it has been an incredible journey thus far, and at times very trying... will share more later, we are still getting over the drive.. I just wanted to let you know I am still here.. Bright Blessings to you all