The first time I set up my altar at our new place I cried. It was incredibly liberating to have my own space again; smudged and cleansed and rang my bell and set up my little statues and other bits of precious. The tools I've collected and moved so many times over the years came back out of their chest and into the light and it was fantastic. Kwan Yin was the card I pulled, reminding me to practice compassion for myself and others around me. My bywords were "Kindness costs me nothing" and it's true. Being gentle and speaking well is much more productive than snark and complaining.
When the wheel turned from bright Lughnassad to stately Mabon I changed decorations and theme. Acorns and oak leaves from the park and a few small apples from the nearby trees sat among my tools. Ix Chel heard my prayers for help with healing and guidance with Ryan and I cried some more. Her sacred connection to water and medicine had me keeping the shells in the West wet for a month, first with the sacred blend of water I've collected from Echo Lake, Rose Lake, Lake Superior and the Pacific Ocean, and then with rain, then just regular tap. I was hoping it would snow but it was late this year.
I meant to switch things again at Samhain but left them in stasis until now. It's far past time to welcome Winter but we only just got our first real snow last week. Very odd for this place and time. The Sabbats aren't just dates on a calender, they're tied to very real changes in the environment. Winter was late, damned late, so I'm just pondering changing my altar now. I dont' have much for the Yuletide season, but I suppose if I wanted too, now is the perfect time to pick up some seasonal decorations from Hallmark on the cheap. I wonder what Goddess will pop from my deck to share her wisdom with me over the lightening, but cold, months?
