Shy Owl’s Soap Box

I have lived in Ohio 99% of my life. Never before have I seen so many bluebirds. I spent the summer with the help of my PussyCat searching out bluebirds and their nests. Why? Who knows. But I found 11 nests within 20 miles of my home. I went from seeing the very first nesting pair between Camden and Oxford to seeing their little ones spread out. Along the way we found an oriole nest and of course lots of owls.
I am sad to say that we lost 2 barred owls and one barn owl to roadkill as far as I noticed. When driving along at dusk or dawn keep in mind that they are focused on food and not looking at you. Notice them please.
Anyhoot, as I looked for the spiritual message of bluebird, I found very little. It seems that most ancients didn’t really pay them mind. I did finally find a few teachings that associated bluebird with happiness and the pleasures of life. Finding happiness is often right smack in front of you if only you are willing to look for it.
Love and Light
ShyOwl

Mabon is simply the Autumn Equinox. It is a time to work towards the winter months ahead, a time of preperation. Just as with the spring equinox is a time to prepare for sewing so now we are reaping. Mostly already in the process as the first of the harvest holidays was back in August. This is our final stretch until Samhain.
This is a good time to asses your current life path. To be sure that all of the things you are carrying with you are needed and if they are not, let them go. At Samhain we will lay out our goals and such for the upcoming year so this is the time to be sure of what those goals are. You may find that what you want out of life is changing, that is okay. As you grow and change, so shall your goals.
Choose the things you will carry with you wisely. There is no point in weighing yourself down w

We may often feel that our Guides are not speaking to us when in fact they are speaking to us daily. They speak to us through repeated animals, or animals that do strange things to get our attention. I had an incident earlier where a cardinal landed in the tree outside my kitchen window and complained until I went over and acknowledged it. It continued to sit there and look me in the eye for quit some time. This is how I knew that the cardinal was there as a sign for me.

Our guides also speak to us through sounds. If you think that you hear someone call your name, but no one is there, that is your guide trying to get your attention. Notice what you were thinking about or doing at the time to help gain clarity. This also applies to de ja vu.

Many of us are olfactory kind of people and for this reason, our guides will often use scents to get our attention. For example, the smell of roses out of nowhere can denote that someone is thinking of you or that you are being visited by someone with a love or roses.

Dream signs are going to be more personal. Each of us will have our own way of connecting with our subcouscious self. Keep a journal by your bed and write down anything from your dreams that seemed significant. How did it make you feel?

Journaling is a great way to recognize the signs and patterns that are already there. You may be feeling no love, but once you start looking, you will find that you are very loved. They are listening, now just notice it.

Love and Light

Shy Owl

So many people seem to think that to be a Witch means that you are Wiccan, or Druid, or this or that. In truth, anyone who is connected to the Earth, uses and understands herbal treatments, speaks to their guides or recognizes signs and blessings given by them or the Universal All is a witch. Following the path of the witch is often times nothing more than stepping out of what is dictated to you by this person or that and following your own personal connection with the Divine. God or Goddess, in either perception, the energy is the same. On the path that leads to personal spiritual growth and personal enlightenment, there are no wrong answers. It seems to me that those who deem the word witch to be negative are those who are fear based and seeking to control everyone around them. We are not here to learn to be controlled, we are here to learn to stand up for ourselves.
Life is short, fly groovy
ShyOwl

It never ceases to amaze me that people on the path of “enlightenment” can be so competetive. It seems to me that there is no point in that. If we are truely walking in Spirit then we should all know that there is no one message. Every person will receive information differently so then, many perspectives of delivery are valuable if not necessary to the ascension of mankind. Backstabbing is as ramapant through our community as it is any other religious group. We all tougt that we are not in it for ourselves, we all say that we are working for the greater good, but then when push comes to shove, where is everyone at? Where is the suport? If we can not work together to support one another, then how can we expect the rest of the world to receive the messages that Spirit is delivering through us? When we are petty, we hurt ourselves in the long run.
If all LightWorkers would learn to come together in the same energy and spirit of healing, then this process would be so much easier. If there is an energy worker in your area starting out, don’t judge them or do things to ensure that they do not get any business. Do not worry that one of your clients might go there. If we believe what we preach, that the Universe is Boundless Prosperity yet we act in fear when it comes to sharing clients, then we are hypocrites.
On that note, I am one to put my proof in my pudding so anyone with a website that is promoting healing, please send me a banner to add to my website. I have all the links sections divided up so that healers are not listed with artists etc. This allows someone looking for a particular need simplicity in discovery. I do my best to support anyone new to light work and to support their ventures in any way that I can. I would also love to have like minded people on my blogtalk show. By keeping light workers active, we keep the healing energy of the Universe flowing.
What kind of proof is in your pudding? 2009 is an 11 year. 11 is all about manifestation so be extra careful that you are thinking what you want because you will reap what you think.
Love and Light
ShyOwl
www.shyowl.net

For this you will need:
Silver Taper Candles (at least one per room but more is okay)
One Silver or White Pillar Candle
Fast Luck Oil
House Blessing Oil
Dragon’s Blood crumbled
A Candle Plate for the pillar candle

A few hours before midnight, it is a good idea to smudge your house completely. For this you will simply need a sage bundle which you will lite and carry from room to room, allowing the smoke to do its job. A spray of sea salt water can be sustituted for this. For this you will simply fill an empty squirt bottle with distilled water and about a tablespoon of sea salt or table salt. A drop of rosemary oil is a nice addition to this. You will then spray every surface in your home that will not be adversely effected by the moisture.

Annoint all the candles with the oils. Remeber to point the wick towards yourself and apply the oil towards you. This brings the positive energy to you.

Set each of the taper candles around the house about an hour before midnight. My Momma always put dimes in the windows, so whatever your traditions are, set them in place at the same time you set the tapers.

As you light each candle you will say “May the Light of the Mother bless and prosper this home.” You can substitute Creator for Mother if that makes you more comfortable.

I would place the pillar on the plate and then on the kitchen table. Sprinkle the Dragon’s Blood around the pillar candle in a clockwise motion. The excess can be burned on a charcoal brick.
At midnight (don’t worry if it is a few minutes after) you will light the pillar candle and say’
“Mother, pour your blessings on our home. Upon us, wealth, happiness, health and wisdom are bestowed. All worries and cares are removed with ease. So I will it, so it shall be.”

Have a Blessed New Year
ShyOwl
www.shyowl.net

In spite of the widespread teaching of the law of attraction, many of us are likely finding ourselves in a financial bind one way or another. Why is this so? Do you feel that the Creator must be upset with you? Doubting that you had enough faith to pull it off? Do you wonder why you even bothered with that stupid focus board in the first place?The key to success here is perseverance and understanding that the Divine Source does not hate you and that your faith is just fine. If you have a focus board then it is full of the things you want out of life and at no time should you throw away your dreams.So why me? You ask next. Well, that is simple, sometimes shit just happens. Sometimes, it has nothing to do with karma, lack of faith, bad choices or anything else along those lines. There are times, (and most everyone in the US is suffering for this), that we are subjected to the results of the bad choices made by others.
I preach all the time that one can change their path by changing their choices, so how then if we are subject to the consequences of others choices can we control or change that? This is an "easier said than done point" but worth considering. You change that by not giving in to fear. So the first step in surviving fallow times is to stay strong and make no choices out of fear. Fear is the number one enemy of all humanity and the best way to stop that is to cut it off where it stands. Knowing that "this too shall pass" is the only mantra needed for this.
It is sooo easy to look towards the ethereal plane and accuse our guides of not doing their job but this is a huge mistake. That is like a kid yelling at it’s mom for not scooping food on the plate fast enough. Patience is the second step in survival and also among the hardest lessons for us all to learn. It takes time to set things back in order after a setback and if the Heaven’s aren’t working fast enough for you, too bad. The more you stomp your foot and carry on, the longer it takes for them to get their job done. If they are constantly having to stop working in the energy to smooth over your ego then that is time taken away from the solution.
The next thing we all like to do is blame ourselves and review all of our choices like we can actually go back in time and fix it all. Ha! Wouldn’t that be awesome? But it is just not going to happen. Maybe once the physicists have worked out the string theory and found a way for time travel, but I don’t suggest holding your breath. So look at today for what it is and work on today, let yesterday and tomorrow worry about themselves. This makes our final survival tool letting go of worry. What good ever came of worrying? I can think of plenty of bad that comes from it though, stomach ulcers, addictive behaviors, high blood pressure, headaches and so forth. So just let it go. Like leaves flowing down a river, let it go.Be sure to support one another, if only in spirit.
Sometimes a kind word or the acknowledgment of someones plight can make all the difference in the world.
May your walk be in love and light.
ShyOwl

ShyOwl is a Reiki Master,Author, Intuitive Reader, and Artist.  Her readings focus on getting you on the best path for your success. If you are experiencing job difficulties, looking for love, or just want to better plan for tomorrow, readings with ShyOwl are available through her website www.shyowl.net  This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this bio is included.

For many a witch is someone who worships satan but for most of us, that is absolutely not the case. Satanism is, at its core, a Christian belief. Satan is a derivative of Christianity. Most witches are not Christian, that being said there is a current movement of “Christian Witches”. How I feel about that means nothing, to each his or her own.
Overall a witch is simply someone that realizes that there are many differences in the Higher Powers, that there are many ways to see the same “sky”. Most of us feel that all aspects of God/Goddess are actually different parts of the same being. Like looking into the many facets of a crystal, each side looks different but it is still the same crystal. Many witches are thought of as tree huggers and that is because most of us feel a connection to Mother Earth, realizing that we have only one planet to call home at this time anyway. Every plant and animal that exists here has the same right to exist that humans do. Every organic energy has its own life force and spirit within it. I have wondered about fairies and the such and possible these are the spirit expressions of plant life. Of course, these things we won’t truly know until we get to the other side and see for ourselves. It is impossible to truly know if other organic life forms carry a spirit or soul within themselves. We can say that because they don’t react the same way humans do the answer must be no, but how can anyone really know? Just because we don’t experience it doesn’t mean it isn’t real.
Most witches on the earth based path carry a respect of others’ belief and opinions. As on any path, there are always those that are self centered and power oriented. No witch, regardless of path gives a crap about whether or not someone else agrees with them. None of us are interested in apostatizing others. Your path is your path and my path is mine. I will worry about my soul and you worry about yours. That is our mind set.
Harry Potter is a wonderful story, I love all 7 books, but that has nothing to do with magick and witchcraft as it really is. Yes we work with the energies around us, yes our focus is to improve our lives by working with these energies, no we are not interested in teaching your kids behind your back or forcing our path down the throats of everyone else. Corrupt people can be found everywhere, in every walk of life, in every religion.
If we would all simply treat others the way we want to be treated ourselves without judgement, the world would be a much better place to be.

ShyOwl is a Reiki Master,Author, Intuitive Reader, and Artist.  Her readings focus on getting you on the best path for your success. If you are experiencing job difficulties, looking for love, or just want to better plan for tomorrow, readings with ShyOwl are available through her website www.shyowl.net  This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this bio is included.

Meditation is a challenge for many of us on this side of the globe. Our focus is so irratic that it makes it nearly impossible to escape technology long enough to accomplish any work on the inner self. What we need to realize is that meditation and inner focus can be acheived in any setting. It has nothing to do with the outer environment but rely’s completely on the inner environment. That is the point of it, to bring peace and focus to the mind in any situation.
This is a simple meditation that was imparted to me by my very wise Reiki Master (and dear friend). She thinks I don’t listen to her, but she is so wrong on that one.
Meditation can be found in every event. If you are simply brushing your hair in the morning, cause your mind to understand and acknowlede the feelings involved in every brush stroke. How does the brush feel when you first apply it to your crown? How does it feel as you pull it down, pulling out the tangles? How does the release of the brush from your hair feel? Focus on your scalp as this occurs, is there discomfort? Is it comfortable? Does the pressure change as you go along? By noticing every sensation in a situtation that you would otherwise do mechanically, you are acknowledging your inner environment by noticing your outer environment.
This can apply to anything that you do, so if you are bald (and bald is very sexy btw) you are not left out. Consider brushing your teeth, washing the dishes, putting your shoes on etc, every moment in life should count, every moment should set you on a path to bring peace to your inner self. There is no exterior event that can bring you happiness, that is found 100% within.
Love and Light
ShyOwl

ShyOwl is a Reiki Master,Author, Intuitive Reader, and Artist.Her readings focus on getting you on the best path for your success. If you are experiencing job difficulties, looking for love, or just want to better plan for tomorrow, readings with ShyOwl are available through her website www.shyowl.net This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this bio is included.

As most of the country has been hit with some pretty rough weather lately, so seems that many of us have been hit with some pretty tough circumstances. Coping with stress on a grand scale is not easy for any of us but those who survive it and pull through unscathed are those who realize that it will not last forever. No circumstance, good or bad, lasts for ever. It is true that time heals all wounds, well, it is better to say that time fades all wounds. Sometimes they are never healed but they always fade enough to allow us to move forward to a better space.
When faced with difficulty keep in mind that it will pass and that you will survive it. Stay focused on the good things in life, no matter how small they are.
Faith is the pennacle of successful survival. Faith lets you know that you are not forgotten no matter how alone you may feel. Regardless of your path, regardless of the name you choose to call the Creator by, faith is the key to finding comfort in even the most difficult of times.
Faith breeds persistence, it is what allows you to get back up on the horse, to try again and again until you have achieved your goal. Faith is what drives the spirit to move forward in spite of the knowing that every day in this life is one day closer to the next, it is what allows us to keep going. It gives us the comfort of knowing that no matter how small it may be, we all have the power to make a difference in someones life.
Close your eyes and consider one thing that happened today that brought you comfort. Did a friend bring you chocolate? Did you get to see your favorite bird today? Did you get a little hug from a little guy? Consider the things that make life matter, that make it important. How many of those things actually depend on your financial condition. The truest statement of the 70’s even if it was made in sarcasm is that “The best things in life are free” and I will keep those and the birds and the bees can have the material.
ShyOwl
www.shyowl.net
ShyOwl is a Reiki Master,Author, Intuitive Reader, and Artist.Her readings focus on getting you on the best path for your success. If you are experiencing job difficulties, looking for love, or just want to better plan for tomorrow, readings with ShyOwl are available through her website www.shyowl.net This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this bio is included.