Well I never really left, I have just been rather talking to myself alot at my other journal *g*

Two personal notes 1)the kitty really likes Dionysos. I found a great little jaguar statue to go right on the shrine. Now that may seem odd to some since technically a jaguar is not a leopard (and after looking at it a bit I determined that it was in fact a jaguar) but since this kitty happens to be jaguar and Dionysos in my life has always been about "girl throw back your head and roar damn it--who cares what others think" it is quite appropriate to me ;) Besides everyone knows that jaguars are so much higher on the most awesome scale over leopards anyway *snrk*

Today I celebrated the Dryad Nymphaia and it was a blast. Dryads are beyond far one of my favorite nymphs.. umm yeah obviously. I am quite the tree person *grin*. Anyone who has been introduced to my profile knows how much I depend on them for my personal stability. But more so tree spirits and dryads have been wonderful friends and companions growing up. I am probably closer to them any other nymph. In fact once when going through a particularly unpleasant place (the energy of the place just freaked me out) I literally felt them reach out and grab ahold of my skirt. Of course curiousity kills the cat and I just had to keep walking but I eventually turned around and headed back when friends were calling. This place was seriously bad mojo, wherein I felt something really wrong with the nymphs of the river and those of the trees--frightened and sickened (the latter attributed mostly to those of the river). I have no idea why any of them would even want to hang around a place like that.

But anyway as I was saying trees are my friends, whether playing among them, sitting at the base of a trunk while reading, curled up sleeping against the tree, or even in a few cases up in a tree sleeping (in my youth-- I really need to get in shape if I am going to do THAT again LOL unless it is half fallen over already--I have proven I can manage that just fine *g*).

In other news a few weeks ago I busted a string on my violin. I am very very sad :( I haven't been able to practice for weeks, not that anyone would consider me in the running to join a symphony LOL, but still I loved to play with my violin.

There are two methods that I have used that are actually very similar. Both methods were developed from research between light and water in mythology (aka my goddess Diana as an example, and the god Apollo, etc etc).

In the first version fill a bowl with water. Really it can be just about any purified bowl, but I used a silvery african abalone shell that I sealed with liquid resin that I make organites with. Once that is done set it on a table. In your mind know that this is the sea/lake (whichever representation calls more naturally to you-- I tend to switch back and forth). North of the bowl place a candle just far enough so that the flame reflects in the bowl representing to a Wiccan it can be the spirit of the goddess, to me it represents the illuminating torch of Diana. Really whatever symbolizm you want to attach will work to convey that presence of your goddess and her illuminating light.

Next you can either stir your finger in the bowl to rouse the waters and chant, or using a small clam shell you can dip and pour the water back in. Either way you are disturbing the waters. I usually chant the illuminating epithets of my goddess.. Lucina, Hecate, Omnivaga, Luna etc etc. But everyone will have something else I am sure that calls to them to be chanted.

To attune the water to you and infuse it with your magick it is important to breathe your breath across its surface, mingling your power with your breath in a magickal breath of your essence.

Place your incense to the right of your bowl so that the smoke will move across the waters. Air is a companion and helpmate for water, and the fumes will help you get in the right frame of mind whether you go with a watery scent or a divination incense. Of course there have been times when I axed the incense alltogether.

Remember it is okay to touch and move the bowl so that you can explore the water, but not really necessary. Feel free to disrupt the water throughout your cession, usually just be dipping the tip of your index finger against the surface in order to change the ripples and movement of the water. Moving water is always ideal for scrying, so you need to sort of improvise with your standing water.

Pay attention to whatever pops in your head or shadows that flicker in the water, sometimes you may even get very clear images.

Water scrying is not for everyone. I can't fire scry worth a damn because it gives me a terrible headache. I am aquatic in nature and so developed my own method of water scrying. I have been told by a mentor that the one danger of gazing into water is that you can become lost within it. This is even more so when you are scrying with natural moving water. My earliest experiences doing this were as a child going on a boat over the ocean.

Now another method is very similarly but involves ice. Place a tealight candle to front and each side of ice on a platter. The reason you are using tealights is because that they are low enough for their flames to illuminate the prisms within the ice. I would suggest that you use concecrated water, or your own personal recipe of holy water, or just bless the water magickally, whatever before making the ice. Do everything that you would have done with the water scrying in breathing your essence into it so it magickally charge the water. When you light the illuminating flames chant. Lower yourself to eye level with the ice and see what may be seen.

Enjoy!

I am not even sure if feeding would be the right descriptive word.. probably not even though it feels like a hunger just prior and I feel sated afterwards. But here it goes. Only very occassionally when I have a sexual partner (you know one of the few that I am not terrified of frightening or breaking) that I will allow my full kitty self to explore and romp upon, during the final completion of the sexual encounter I will draw upon the essence of the partner. That is the best way I can describe it. Sometimes I may physically bite on the skin. But I literally feel my energy go into my partner, twine with theirs and pull it within me. For many moments I feel like I am sharing their skin, and afterwards I will notice that I have forged a very strong connection to them that generally lasts a couple of months without being renewed. If it this process is not renewed then it simply falls away. this has been devasting on the few occassions where I have broken up or been dumped by a male who I experienced this with shortly prior. Not so much that I have real feelings for them (since after the lenght of time passes I couldn't care less in most cases) but because they literally feel a part of me. Therefore I grieve horribly for no real good reason. It is not something that is necessary for my survival, but is rather an extension of my true sexual nature. One that I have been keeping a leash on for the last few years. It is just very pleasant, not only because it gives me an extra internal warmth and a sort of temporary bond with another person, but also because it revitalizes my personal energy. Since I don't suffer from low energy, I just get a rush as the energy I expended is replaced and then some

I can at times feel caught up in the whole thing with titles and labels, it often seems too complicated when I just am as I am.

However on the other hand labels help us to identify who and what we are within and what we believe in a very generic sense to the outside world. Sadly some titles have more negative connotations within the minds of others and therefore one must either change said label or put up an extensive explanation about that label. Such as vampirism for example... now people identify as specific types of vampirism whether it be psi, sang, elemental etc.

Even therians are getting into the deal when delving into different lables for different sort of therians. It is more than just saying well I am a jaguar therianthrope, which is something that is new even in and of itself since therianthrope has replaced were-fill in the phenotype. Now people are starting to identify with specific types in what sort of experiences they have.. such as contherianthropes who never shift at all... and the whole debate on what to call someone who doesn't have intense shifting experiences anymore in their natural evolution into balance.

Even among pagans it has become even more critical since no one wants anyone to assume they are specifically something else. Pagan has become a very generic term for a wide-ranging selection of different beliefs. I am not wiccan, I don't want people to assume that I hold those beliefs. Therefore I clear as to what kind of pagan path I follow. The very fact that one has some selections to choose from in declaring what sort of pagan they are on this board is testimony on how important it is for people to be able to clarify.

Labels and titles flow with the use of language. We need language in order to clarify our thoughts, and uses. Thus titles also clarify who were are inside, within specific pagan communities, what we do, and what influences we may have in the way we approach and look at life.

Just some mutterings from the neighborhood jaguar.

I don't have anything really to write right this second. Some folks may recognize me from myspace, or they may not.

I should have yahoo messenger later today and so at certain times afterwards you will be able to contact me there during the morning and early afternoon. I usually have breaks in classes after 11 on Tuesday and Thursday, and between 12 and 2 MOnday, Wed, and FRIday. These last three days I will also be available in the morning for a bit, especially on friday. Since i don't have home internet..yet.. this is the best I can do.

SO all those who ventured on my covenpage welcome and enjoy your stay. I am an opinion bitch--I am sure we will get along fine.

 Purrrs