Long Weekend with WTI; College for Mum

I had a long weekend at the WTI (Wemyns Theological Institute) meeting this weekend. What? You mean to tell me you did not know I was student of theology? Arn't all who research other religions? If you don't care to read about "pagan" related material...you may want to skip to the end to see the other photo which is Karate related.

Well anyhoo...as part of the weekend we were asked to bring a favorite altar item and we found out that we were to create a ritual with them AFTER we drew pieces of paper that had a moon phase, a season, and a theme. We also drew pieces of paper that randomly partnered us up with another womyn of the group. I got Ruth, a wonderfully gentle, sensitive, and loving womyn. We had to come up with a coven name (make-believe at this point), and design a ritual around the themes we drew. We drew a moon phase of waxing, season of summer, with a theme of transformation/transcendence. And we came up with the coven name that I still have a hard to remembering. It was something grove coven. We named it after a tree that sends roots down from it's limbs and it mostly found around the Florida coast. Gosh I wish I could remember! It started with a B!

We did not take this assignment lightly. We were serious. And right away we came up with a theme. Weight loss. When is wieght loss NOT transformative or transcendative? It changes your whole life! So the first picture is of the alter we created. We got lots of nice comments on our ritual (we had to perform it in front of the class as if it were a private coven gathering...with lots of flies on the walls watching...).And oddly enough, during the same weekend we discussed labrynths. Our altar became a labrynth of transformation. The main theme turned into water because that is what we had. I had brought the cunch (sp?) shell for the goddess costume party on Friday evening and had left it there at the place we were meeting at so I ended up being able to use it along with the cowery shell that fell off my Yemaya necklace. The blue ribbon symbolizes a river. Water can be a powerful element. It carved the Grand Canyons. So here it is helping us carve a spiral path to our goal, which we added to the wish cup (my altar item) at the end of the symbolical journey.

We had a lot more time than the other two groups that formed to come up with our ritual so it was more planned out. It also turned out to be very powerful for the both of us as we both have the same goals in mind. I have found that as the months pass, I keep getting phychic flashes. When we were pondering how to set the altar up, the way it ended up is what flashed in my mind in the planning stages. How amazing! I had an invocation (which I learned is different from envocation...go figure!) and it went like this:

"The journey to transformation begins with a spark. A spark of change, a spark of growth, a spark of curiosity, or a spark of determination.

As we continue along the path to transformation there will be trials, there will be doubt. We must remember that Sacred Mother is always near to help us push through the tough times.

Again we will continue upon the path set before us and we will find the drive, will and energy to keep us moving forward.

And as we near our goal, Goddess will always be near to support us with every step we take."

I loved how the ritual came out. We both called in the elements and the Sacred Mother, and we had fun doing it. I didn't like having to do it in front of my peers, but we did it, and we did it with feeling, power, and determination to reach the goals we have set before ourselves. I even got Ruth a thinkin about getting involved with Martial Arts as I have! It's fun!

And that leads me to the next topic, the college. I got a big 8x10 photo of the nice picture of me smiling and gigglin, and made a freeform college. I smudged out my name because well...it's a secret!!! But my name is there for Mum to see. Now...how the hell do I ship this thing?? It's a "floating" picture frame so it's mostly glass. Any suggestions out there?

Until next time...