Amanda Pearl

Spiritual Nomad - Your Path of Faith

2012-02-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

For the first project of the Spiritual Nomad course we were to create a spiritual timeline. We were to write out our major life events then track our spiritual path changes. Below is an image of my timeline (of which I'm pretty proud I must admit).

I was born into a Presbyterian family and baptized as a little baby. I went to church every Sunday (willingly until high school haha), I became a member at 14, sang in the choir, and participated in a lot of discussions and events. I tried hard to be a good Christian, partly because that's what "good girls" did and partly because Christianity was kind of a fad at my school. I was in middle school when those WWJD bracelets became super popular and there was a group of kids who started having Bible studies and prayer circles during lunch. I was a bit of a loner and pretty desperate to fit in so I would try and read the Bible every day and be as good of a Christian as I could.

It wasn't until I graduated high school and went to college that I started to question my faith. I lived a pretty sheltered life and didn't know anyone that wasn't a white middle class Christian. At college I met people of a variety of faiths and races and made some very close friends with some gays and lesbians. I started questioning Christianity, not so much as a valid faith, but more as an institution. I didn't understand why a religion that was supposed to be about "love thy neighbor" would say my friends were going to hell and spread messages of fear, hate, and ignorance to billions of people. I decided I wasn't going to be a Christian anymore or any religion for that matter until I found something that accepted everyone.

I called myself agnostic for a couple of years while I "searched", but really all I was doing was pissing my parents off by refusing to go to church or take communion. The day before my 21st birthday I was at the Ohio Renaissance Fair with my friends and decided to get a tarot reading. I thought it was going to be a hollywood shock and awe type thing (I see a great love in your future, oooohhhh), but instead it was a deeply personal and emotional experience. She took one look at the cards and said "You've been questioning your faith, the religion you were raised in, for a while. You're not sure if the religion of your parents is correct for you. However, I can see that you are a deeply spiritual person and very intuitive. You're just starting on the path of self discovery, you'll find a spirituality that works best." I was amazed at how spot on she was. It was like she knew exactly what I was going through.

She also asked if I had every studied the occult, to which I thought she meant Satanism (I know, right? Sometimes I can't believe I was that naive). I said no, so she recommended a couple of books to me. I bought a tarot deck from her stall and started googling and researching. I was amazed at all of the information I was discovering. I kind of had the epiphany that I could be whatever religion I wanted, it wasn't just Christian or nothing. I started connecting with people on youtube and found a whole community that supported me.

After a couple years or so of the "Wicca 101" stuff (buying a bunch of shit and reading Scott Cunningham) I wanted more. I wanted to move beyond following rituals and spells out of books and collecting candles and crystals. I felt like I was reading the same basic information over and over. I was also growing tired of all of the bickering that was happening between pagans. I didn't understand why people couldn't accept each other and why if someone did something differently than someone else they were a "fluffy bunny" or a "poser". I was becoming extremely frustrated by the superficial pettiness I was witnessing.

It was right around then that, thanks to Dianne's website, that I found Goddess Leonie at the Goddess Guidebook. This is when I really started to grow as a spiritual person. I stopped trying to do what was "correct" from a book and started doing what was "right" from my heart. I am still learning about myself and what works for me, not what other people say I should be doing. I just renewed my second year membership in the Goddess Circle and I love it so much. I don't know what my future will bring, but I know I have learned so much while on this path and I am loving the journey.

Pagan Blog Project: C is for Color

2012-02-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Color is one of the most important things in my practice. It affects everything that I do. Whether it's decorating for an upcoming sabbat, preparing a candle for a spell, or choosing what crystal to use in divination, color is the deciding factor in a what I buy and what I use. When I use something that is the right color, it is so much easier for me to fall into that magical mindset. Use the wrong color and I'm stuck on the wrongness of it and can't get past that uneasy feeling to do any real spiritual work. Like I said in my aesthetics post, I'm a Libra, so appearances matter. Below is a list of color correspondences that I use for different magical purposes. Do you agree? What are your color correspondences?

Red - Red for me is the color of passion, energy, and love. I use it to represent the element Fire and burn a red candle whenever I want something done right away or if I feel extremely passionate about something. I also really love using Red for luck, I think this comes from my fondness for Chinese knots and good luck charms. I use red to decorate during Beltane and Yule and as an accent color during the fall sabbats (Lughnasadh and Mabon mostly).

Orange - I rarely use orange on it's own. Orange is not one of my favorite colors, so I usually just use it as one of the main colors for decorating during the fall sabbats.

Yellow - Yellow is my favorite color, so it shows up on my altar a lot. I use yellow to represent air (which just so happens is my astrological element as well). Yellow has the qualities of happiness, success, high energy, hope, friendship, as well as the more airy aspects of intelligence, thoughtfulness, and concentration. I use Yellow on my altar from Ostara through Mabon because it is a very spring and summer color.

Green - Green is my second favorite color and it's all over my sacred space. I use Green to represent earth and the earthy qualities of stability, security, and healing. Green is also the color of money, so I use it when ever I want to do something with abundance or wealth.

Blue - Blue for me is calm and cool. The shade of blue really depends on when I use it and for what purpose. Lighter blues are used to decorate during winter because it reminds me of cold ice. I use brighter blues in the summer months to represent clear waters and bright skies. Any time I want to meditate or relax I really enjoy using navy blue candles.

Purple - Purple is probably the most "magical" color that I use. I use it to represent the element spirit as well as the divine, in particular the goddess. I find using purple candles and stones to meditate or do divination really helps put me in the right mindset.

Pink - I use pink for love, happiness, and that snuggle-warm-all-over feeling. I like to use pink during Imbolc because it reminds me of newness and innocence. Pink is the color I use for self love rituals, because I have some pretty intense confidence issues and pink reminds me to be gentle.

Black - I use black to represent secrecy, protection, and when I want to banish something from my life. I also really like to use black candles when I'm cleansing my home because it absorbs the negative energy. Black is a color I use when I'm doing "heavy" work. Work that forces me to face my fears or shed old habits that aren't helping me grow.

Clear or White - I love using clear stones and white candles for meditation. I find they bring "clarity" and allow the messages from my higher self to come through. I also use white as my general working color, though I use it a lot in purification rituals. I find that lighting a white candle after a black one in a cleansing ritual helps put good vibes back into a space. I tend to use white candles for the goddess and black for the god, or silver (goddess) and gold (god) if I can get my hands on them.

Spiritual Nomad - Introduction

2012-01-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you all know about an awesome class that is starting soon. One of my favorite authors, Dianne Sylvan, will be starting a spiritual nomad course on February 6th! It's a 6 week course that is like a continuation of her book, The Circle Within. It's designed to help you figure out the spiritual path that you want to take, and create your own eclectic practice. The course is only $25, so it's a real bargain! if you are interested head over to her website and sign up. The cut off is February 5th, so get on it already.

As a side note, I plan on updating on here as I complete each week's lesson. I really don't know what sort of activities we'll be doing, but I just love Sylvan's writing, so I'm sure it will be a fun and insightful trip (plus maybe a little crazy). I'll keep you posted!

Pagan Blog Project: B is for Blessing

2012-01-27T11:53:00.001-08:00

This is a blessing I wrote for Imbolc last year, and I thought I would share it with you all. One of my goals this year will be to write a blessing for each of the sabbats. I kind of cheated with Imbolc since this is already written, but I really love it, so whatever! I hope you all like it.

May the light shine on you,
Bless you and give you strength.
Although the dark seems overwhelming;
The night heavy and eternal,
Do not hold fear in your heart.

No longer tremble in the barren winter,
But compose yourself as the maiden.
Pure in hope of a brighter tomorrow,
She adorns herself in bridal vestment,
Aglow with joyous countenance.

For as sure as the sun shall rise each day
And the abiding moon shifts her course
The light of spring will come,
Invigorating the earth with renewed life
And kindling your heart.

Pagan Blog Project: B is for Books

2012-01-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

I'll let you all in on a little secret. I LOVE BOOKS. I love them so much I have a blog and a youtube channel dedicated to them. So I think it's only appropriate that I discuss my favorite spirituality books. Below are some thoughts on my top five.

TOP FIVE SPIRITUALITY BOOKS

The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan - Let me just say that I love Dianne Sylvan's writing. She is amazeballs. Seriously. The Circle Within is probably the best book on Wiccan spirituality that I have ever read. This is an excellent book for anyone who has read all the basic books and is ready to move beyond the "tools and incense" phase.

The Body Sacred by Dianne Sylvan - Did I mention that I love Dianne Sylvan? Because I do. This book is excellent. The Body Sacred is about finding the goddess within you and learning how to treat yourself as you deserve. It's about how a woman's connection to her body affects her connection to the divine. (In particular I loved the healer section of the book. The charkra work is some of the best I've ever read).

A Witches Ten Commandments by Marian Singer - This book goes over many moral and ethical issues that Wiccans and pagans must face. It puts these ideas in ways that even the most eclectic practitioner can relate. I appreciated this book because I came from a Christian background and many of my family members are Christian, so this book helped me explain my values in terms they could understand.

All One Wicca by Kaatryn MacMorgan-Douglas - This is probably my favorite "Wicca 101" book. I really liked the interpretations of certain Wiccan beliefs that didn't always make sense to me (ie the rule of three. Why three?). All One Wicca presents a logical and pragmatic way of interpreting Wiccan values and made me say "Yes! That's exactly what I believe!" more than once.

73 Lessons Every Goddess Must Know by Goddess Leonie Dawson - This book is a collection of the best posts of her blog as well as some new essays. I highly recommend Goddess Leonie's work. Her writing, videos, and classes are absolutely lovely. I have a review of her book on my other blog here . I would highly recommend buying her 2012 year planner. It's only $9.99 and it is absolutely amazing. if you really want to take a leap I would highly recommend a membership to her Goddess Circle. It has completely changed my life.

Pagan Blog Project: A is for Aesthetic

2012-01-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

This week for The Pagan Blog Project I wanted to discuss aesthetics. Aesthetics is the appreciation of beauty in all of it's forms that creates a sensory, emotional, and intellectual connection. I think it's very important to surround ourselves with not only practical items, but items that appeal to us on an emotional level. This can be in the form of paintings we've created or think are beautiful, furniture that has a cohesive style, a lush garden, clothing and jewelry that are flattering and unique, or any other decoration that will add a sense of beauty to our lives. I am a Libra, so I find that when I surround myself with beautiful things it is easier for me to connect to the divine. I see the beauty in nature and know that beauty is divine.

Below are some examples of paintings and decorations I have in my home. I rent an apartment so I can't do a whole lot, but I try. I can't wait to have a house!

These are some paintings I've created and have hanging around my house. I am not an artist, but I was inspired while taking Leonie's Creative Goddess Course and I really love the results! The background to my blog is another painting I've created as well.

I LOVE prayer flags! I got these cute little baby ones from a little shop in Yellow Springs, Ohio (hippie town woo!) and they hang out above the desk where I paint. So pretty.

This isn't in my house, it's at a local metaphysical store. The ribbons are wishes that brush good luck on you as you walk through the arch. I think it's beautiful! (I also just love the pink flamingo lawn ornament, very metaphysical lol).

I See the Goddess in You

2012-01-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

I see the goddess in you,

Feel her love kindle your heart.

And this I swear to be true,

We abide in her eternal art.

Feel her love kindle your heart.

Behold! The fire, gentle and warm.

We abide in her eternal art,

According to her scared form.

Behold the fire, gentle and warm,

We have found the secret star.

According to her sacred form,

You are perfect, just as you are.

We have found the secret star,

And this I swear to be true.

You are perfect just as you are,

I see the goddess in you.

Pagan Blog Project: A is for Altar

2012-01-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

I'm going to start this pagan blog project off with maybe one of the most common "A"s in paganism, altars! I love making altars for just about everything. I just love how creative you can be once you realize that the altar is for you and doesn't have to be in the exact layout of a book. Make it work for your space, your style, and your practice.

I've recently moved and haven't had a real altar set up for about 8 months (wow didn't realize it had been that long). One of my goals is to figure out a permanent space for my altar. It doesn't have to be big and fancy, but I'd like a special place to set aside for my practice. I'm a very visual person and I really enjoy having a beautiful and meaningful space to connect to the divine. Here are some examples of what I've done in the past.

This was my first official altar, Yule of 2009. I was so excited and a little candle happy lol. I had so much fun decorating and planning out all of the things I would use. I was very proud of my wand (I made it!) and my "pentacle" star candle.

This was a little later in the year, what I called my 2010 "Summer Now Please!" altar. It was late April and still around 30 degrees, so I thought a little extra nudging couldn't hurt. I love the simplicity and the bright colors.

This is one is a fancy one! Mabon 2010. I had moved out and was living alone with an entire room dedicated to "witch-y stuff" so I went a little crazy. I was really proud of this design though. Every shelf had a special purpose. This is definitely one of my most symbolic altars.