Vernal Equinox 2013

Spring is a time of new beginnings
Recently, I sent away to the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids for a home study course that takes about three years to complete.
I have been in a search for a more "specific" path for my spirit. Being an "eclectic" pagan felt so scattered to me and my spirit feels scattered enough as it is.
This feels very right to me. This is the direction I yearn for.
I believe, I know that there is spirit in everything; in the trees, animals, in the waters and rocks. There is something there. They all have their own story.
I long for the knowledge of what my ancestors may have believed and values before Christianity set about wiping out our cultural memory. I hope that this will help me channel that.

I am always is a quest to learn more about this world and the history of "my story" , which to me, means my ancestors' stories

I started a new tradition
I plan to set out some kind of house/feeder/waterer/protection etc for the birds and the squirrels each spring equinox.
Here are some pictures of what I set out today.

The purple square house is installed on the side of the wood shed. I am planting hardy kiwi below where it is, so I hope that it will have a neat green camouflage come summer.

Garlic Oil

As part of one of the courses in herbology that I am doing I needed to make an herbal oil.
I decided to give garlic oil a try using a method that I have not utilized before.

What I did was break apart three heads of garlic. I suppose it wouldn't have hurt anything to leave the skin on but I peeled and sliced each in half
I put them in the bottom of my pot and just covered them with grape seed oil
I then set my propane oven as low as it could go. This involved getting on my hands and knees to find the point at which the pilot light lit the flame so I could leave it there. I left the pot in the oven for about three hours and then shut it off to let it cool.

I strained the oil from the cloves, mashing it with a fork to get as much oil as as possible.
Using a funnel I filled my containers. They both are labeled with the date and that it is garlic in grape seed oil in the container.

Take a teaspoon every hour against cold and flu and infections

Use it for earaches by putting one or two warmed drops into the affected ear.

And, the first way I plan to try it out.... on "on aches and strains". I think my elbow is in that category
Also for use in minor skin disorders so I will try it out on the sweat rash that I get under my tummy.

I spent some of the day moving more boughs into a pile, hopefully a warm home for a bunny or two next winter, by the time I am done.

I included a picture of Mortimer, my rooster. After I peeled the veggies for this evenings meal, I took the lot down the the chickens. I tossed a turnip peel towards Mortimer and it landed right on his rump!!