Lilac Wolf's great Giveaway!

My friend Angela, from Lilac Wolf and Stuff, is giving away one of the coolest books from Quirk Books: Masterpuppet Theater, by Michael Rogalski. This awesome book brings Shakespeare classics to introduce them to kids (and grown-ups too) to the great genius's plays. It includes 60 finger puppets, 12 sets and a folio of classic scenes, irresistible! Check it out, you have until October 6th to enter the giveaway!

... And the fun will begin!!!

Tomorrow starts Mrs. B.'s 31 Days of Halloween Party! And you know what it means: FUN!!! 31 days with great giveaways, Haunted Blog Tours, Guest Bloggers Posts, and Mrs. B.'s always cool posts on one of everybody's favorite times!

I'll donate three items from my Etsy shop, and I'll be crossing my fingers and toes to win some of the awesome prizes the other great sponsors will be donating as well! ::))

You also know that it means that I'll have daily posts here about the party and its giveaways, so bear with me! lol

Let's have fun!

Nature in action

My brother Evaldo posted on his page these amazing photos he took last week of a Peregrine Falcon. Evaldo often goes tot he top of our local cathedral and observe the birds that live nearby. These falcons are old friends of him. He was lucky to watch this male when he captured a little bird for lunch. It took it more than 30 minutes to devour his hunt:



After sating his hunger, he flew from his place to meet his female friend:



... when he sated his second appetite...



That's what I'd call to pray, to eat, to love, lol!

ABC Wednesday - K is for Kronos

One more week for the ABC! I keep thinking to myself, "which god or goddess can I bring this time?", and it's fun! :)

I had to talk about Kronos (Saturn for the Romans), the great Titan, God of Time, Zeus' father (and Hestia, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Hades, Hestia and Aphrodite). What a powerful and hmmm... deplorable God! He was the son of Gaia and Ouranus, who was jealous of his kids, making Kronos to kill him to survive. The bad thing is that Kronos started feeling the same fear that his offspring would excel him in power, and decided killing them all, right after his wife Rhea gave birth. She became so obviously outrageous that she hid Zeus from him and sent him to be raised in Krete, away from his jealous father. When he grew up, Zeus eventually defeated and forced him to throw up his kids back to life, after castrating him, and throwing his er... member... to the sea, where Aphrodite was born from it. Zeus was so kind and magnanimous that ended up forgiving Kronos, and gave the Elysina Islands for him to rule. What a metaphor...

For more K posts, visit the ABC page, created by Denise Nesbitt, and join the fun!

ABC Wednesday - J is for Jupiter

Hello, ABC friends! As the planet Jupiter came so close to us this Monday, I had to bring the Jupiter god to this week letter!

Jupiter is for the Romans what Zeus is for the Greeks (to tell the truth, I tend to sigh for Greek lores more, lol). The great God of the skies, Dies Pater (Shining Father), throwing lightning-bolts all around when challenged or upset. This powerful deity was the son of Ops and Saturn, and married Juno - Hera for the Greek -, another powerful (and some say, bad-tempered) Goddess. He also ruled over the public morality in Rome.

For more J posts, visit the ABC page, created by Denise Nesbitt, and join the fun!

Happy Mabon & Ostara

I wish all my pagan friends on the Northern Hemisphere a blessed Mabon, and for those on the Southern side like me, a sweet Ostara!


And for my non-pagan friends, a great First Day of Autumn / Spring!

We'll be celebrating Ostara here, tomorrow, as usual, keeping it simple. Dyeing eggs, decorating our altars (specially little witch's, lol), and making a simple ritual. Lucas will be more than pleased to call the quarters eating a jellybean for each element, and as it will be also a Full Moon, dropping blue guache drops on his bowl of water to see what images come this month.

May the Autumn season be abundant in health, love and prosperity for all of you!

* The lovely Eostre image is by Scott Brooks, check him out!

A new giveaway and a new blog

Wendy, from eWitch, is starting her own new blog, The Year of the Cats, and to celebrate this new phase, she's giving aways some awesome witchy things, you have to check them out!

It ends on September 24th.

Enjoying the sun

(photo: courtesy of Lucas)

The last couple of weeks, we're having gorgeous sunny days (except for yesterday and the day before it), antecipating the Spring that is almost here. Have I already said I can't wait for Spring to come and shoo away the cold weather?

Since the days are warmer, clouds-free, I could start working on my dolls outside, and we created this routine, my little witch and I. We take our breakfast, and go to the sun. I grab my supplies, our bottle of fresh water, turn on the radio, sit on yje ground or on my beach wrap, and start embroidering, while watching Lucas to play with his toys. we stay outside from 8:30 to 11am, when we get inside for his shower, lunch and getting ready to school. I leave everything ready so we can enjoy the mornings with no rush.





And it's awesome! I get pretty productive under the sun and I'm getting a cool tan at the same time, and being out there listening to the birds' crazy singing (so many they are spread on the trees!) and breathing the pure air is so renewing... Lucas has lots of fun playing with his toys, making them fight imaginary battles in a water container. He gets his grape popsicle, and rides his scooter.




And mom is back from her mini-vacations at the beach. She's got a wonderful tan that I'm envious of!


Lucas is all happy with his grandma back to chat and make crosswords with him! ;)


Now I hope the cold front the weather forecast is announcing doesn't reach our place this weekend, and we can keep enjoying our days.

Wish you all guys a wonderful weekend!

The Weekend in Black and White

My mom spent a couple of weeks at her cousin's beach house, where she loves to visit, and had a great time chatting, drinking beer with her friends, and the most important (mom is charged by sunlight), getting a beautiful tan! ;)

She returned two days ago, for Lucas' delight, he was missing his grandma!


For more monochrome photos, visit the meme's main page, hosted by Dragonstar, and join the fun.

When stars collide

Okay, time to vent. Again. It's becoming an annoying pattern... Let's do it from the beginning... I was always considered a bit weird at home concerning my ideas about the spiritual world and all, a little bit of a freak because I love candles, I love incenses, elemental forces and spells... I was always the one who fell in love and trusted too many times just to see the relationships end the worst way possible, owning an incredible rotten finger for men. I'm too passionate in what I believe, and used to dive in the pool before checking if the water wasn't too cold or too hot for me. At least on this, I changed a huge lot. No way I'll get into any swimming pool before testing temperature with my toes - actually right now I don't want to get even close to one. 'Bout time!

But around 13 years ago, when I started my spiritual path as a Wiccan, and along the years while I deepened my studies and felt myself more and more connected to my path, it was exactly when I left home to live in Rio to start the Journalism course at college (that I had to abandon after some periods for lack of money). So my family didn't deal on a daily basis with my experiences, and then I married my ex, worked to keep the bills paid and kept my pagan path. I was all independent, living my life, and visiting my family when I could on weekends. As most of you know, one year ago evrything changed, I left my bad marriage and returned to my mother's house with my little witch.

Let me make it clear: I am very lucky and blessed for having a fun, loving and supportive family. We've been through hell some times, like at my father and sister's illness and death, and the strong bond we have is rare, specially among my siblings and I. And this is where it hurts more. Since we moved in, I restricted my "louder" witchy activities to the bedroom I share with my son, not to change more than the already changed routine - it's just fine, our altars are set here as well as my tools, no big deal. I always talked openly about my path, and my mother, in all her 77 years old wisdom and life experience, accepts me as a witch, even consulting me about some details she's curious about. Okay, when Lucas was born she insisted for some years that I should baptize him in the Catholic church - all her children and grandchildren are after all, but we finally had a ultimate mature talk that put everything in the right place, and she understood it would go against all my beliefs and never insisted again. She's the one I show my creations first, and she loves hearing the details on each deity's story embroidered in my dolls, a great supporter and wonderful mom.

But I've been noticing something I wasn't really expecting, not at this level. Two of my siblings keep throwing, here and there, pinches of mocking at my faith, at the way I raise my son, and I always took it on a light way. I love my brother and my sister, they supported me many times when I needed, and I really dn't want to get into an ugly word-fight that will lead nowhere, since I absolutely don't need to prove anything to them. I'm okay and in peace about my pagan path. But I'm starting to get really upset with this. They never, ever sit for five minutes with me (like my dearest aunt Sandra did some months ago) to try to understand what it's all about before criticizing me. I can have a grown-up conversation on the subject for hours, debating differences that are normal when two paths meet, but if there's something I dislike is simple and pure mockery. It's like being treated like a child again. So now, unfortunately, instead of simply swallowing and letting it go (mainly in respect of mom, who suffers watching us argue), I started defending myself. Not mocking back, but cutting their own mocking sharply and fastly, specially with my "Is this interfering in your life?" question that has no reply.

I feel so sad and uncomfortable to see this happening with two people I love so deeply. I don't give a damn to their beliefs, they can be Christian, buddhist, atheist, whatever. If I know they're happy, I'm happy too. That's how it should be.

I'm sad because this is a HUGE part of my life. I don't lecture at anyone about paganism, I'm discreet and respect other's paths, I've found my balance. I live my life like everyone else. I listen to the same rock, blues, Brazilian bands, I watch the same silly comedies, deep movies. I read the same Asterix and Asimov and Stephen King, and kid's comics. I eat the same food everyone else does. But I'm a witch. And denying this would be a big mistake. My spiritual path as a Wiccan is too important for me.

I feel sorry that this became such an issue and taboo among us. We can talk about anything, we do have a great relationship and great, fun chats, but when the word "witch" is spoken, a bomb is dropped. I believe that when we truly love, we respect one's choices (An it harm none do what ye will...). They should be glad for me. I don't want to fight, but I know time is coming that I will need to literally sit and say my truth. And it upsets me, I hate the stress it will bring.

ABC Wednesday - H for Hestia & I for Inanna

Hello folks! It's been a time I don't blog, only because I'm extra busy crafting, thank the gods! :)


I ended up missing last week letter, so tonight I'll share my H and I.



H is for Hestia, my favorite Goddess. She's a very popular deity among witches, the virgin Goddess of family hearth and meals. The first child of Kronos and Rhea, Hestia was also the goddess of the sacrificial flame and received a share of every sacrifice to the gods, and the first bit of every meal. I have two cute images from artist friends at home, being the one on the right on our kitchen now:



And I is for Inanna or Ishtar, the most important goddesses on the Sumerian pantheon, is the Goddess of love and war, daughter of the moon Goddess Nanna. Like Persephone, she went to the Underworld where she was detained because she was killed. After killing her, the Underworld God Ereshkigal hung Inanna on the wall. The God of wisdom Enki intervenes to save her life, which then results in a stand-in for Inanna, her husband Dumazi and his sister Geshtinanna, each spending half the year in the Underworld, causing the change of seasons.

For more I posts, visit the ABC page, created by Denise Nesbitt, and join the fun!

Living life and crafting

Hello friends!

Life's being kind to me these days, though an awful migraine crisis caught me last week almost driving me crazy as usual, plus a tootache that worsened things a bit, grr... Oh Let's forget that, it's past now, thank the gods.

Lucas got a mild cold this weekend that surpringly didn't got really bad besides a low fever and aching body. Seems like he's growing up with a stronger immuno system, which is relieving! Today he's almost brand-new and all he wants is to be okay tomorrow to participate his first school's Olympic Games.

My mother traveled to her cousin's beach house last Friday to spend a couple of weeks, she was longing to be there since New Year's Eve! Da House's kitchen is all mine again, poor Lucas and Evaldo, lol! She really needs this break in her routine to simply be a woman and not a mom (you know what I mean!), to sunbath, drink some beer and laugh with her friends, I'm happy that she's got these marvelous relatives and friends who always ask her to go, she's really a fun company - I already miss her and so does Lucas: he hates when she's gone! If there's something positive (besides the obvious, lol!) about us living with my mother, is this special link was built between my little witch and her. Lucas adores chatting with his grandma, and he cracks her up with his absolutely funny remarks and thoughts. They read together, make crosswords together, and she tells him stories from her childhood that he loves listening to. The balance between the youth's energy vs old age's wisdom is perfect, and since my mother has a truly young soul, this bond has a special touch.

I've been still quite busy in my witchcrafts, so here we go again, I have to share my last babies again! Bear with me? :o)

Today I finished Hades for a dear friend, with a pinch of dried pomegranade in the stuffing). This one was extra fun to create, because Lucas gave priceless suggestions (though I had to leave many other ideas aside for lack of room, lol!) to the embroideries after I told him the deity's myth. He practically demanded me to add skulls "anywhere" and the boat. I was wise to agree, I guess:


I finally got a new version for Freyja that fits way better how I wanted Her to be, and I started making baby Goddess matching the big ones to be used as keychains:


Brigid also got a baby one now. It's fun and cute to make tiny versions of Them with compacted embroideries:


Also I finished a couple of Mabon-related Goddesses for another customer, and the scent of cinnamon and clove was delicious reminding me of Yule time...



One sweet thing is that I've been receiving new photos of Goddesses at customers' house, and I'm adding them to my personal file's collection. It's so cool to see how They're doing after leaving my place! The last one was my friend Marcia's beautiful little daughter Victoria and her Cuba goddess-to-hug. I can't believe how grown-up and cute V is becoming! I first met Marcia on the net when she was pregnant, we always kept in touch, and now her daughter is this lovely little lady:


As you can see, not much time left to do anything else, lol! Still got some special babies to create this week, plus Suzie's kit from my own giveaway. I love this is a great time for my shop, the extra money is absolutely welcome, since it's the extra and official money actually! ;) And to keep my mind busy brain-storming to create the right embroideries to tell each deity's tales is a blessing!

Besides this, I've been reading and adoring every turning page of Naked, the book I won at A Nu (de) Motivation giveaway. This book is a pleasure to read, full of wonderful healthy tips for the body, mind and soul, and high-quality photos that make the reading even more pleasing. I highly reccomend it.

Well, that's all folks! I hope your weekend was good and next week is great!

The Weekend in Black and White

These are my dad's parents, grandpa Juca and grandma Bella. Unfortunately when I was born, they were already gone, they were a sweet couple. I like her shy manners. You can see where I got my skinny body from... While my sharp spirit is very from my mother's family, my body is totally my father's!


For more monochrome photos, visit the meme's main page, hosted by Dragonstar, and join the fun.

ABC Wednesday - G is for Gaia

I know I have already posted about Her before, but couldn't resist doing it again for the ABC fun.

This sweet Goddess is one of my favorites, and I have Her images in my place along with Hestia. My favorite is still the one Lucas colored years ago:



Gaia is the Greek Goddess of Earth. She is the daughter of Chaos, and is believed to be the mother as well as the wife of Uranus (the sky) and Pontus *the sea). According to the Greek mythology she is a primeval goddess who was the Mother of other Gods, and the 12 Titans: Oceanus, Phoebe, Rhea, Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Hyperion, Iapetus, Tethys, Theia, Themis, Mnemosyne.

The Greeks worship Gaia even today, and the ancient Greeks considered her as a Mother of all things, believing that every movable and living beings sprang up from her.

I see Lovelock's Gaia Theory as something obvious... Being a pagan mom, it's just natural for me to feel our planet as a living organism. We know well how She answers to the pain that some stupid humans inflict to Her, and how sweetly She feels the love most of us give to Her.

For more G posts, visit the ABC page, created by Denise Nesbitt, and join the fun!

Mabon/Ostara giveaway Winner!

Lucas had fun as always picking up the winner from my witch hat! He demanded me to speak English, lol!



Congrats!!! Email me your address so I can ship your goodies!!

Thanks everybody who joined and made this fun so good to host! Next sabbath I'll have a very spooky Halloween giveaway! ;)