Sorry!

Life has just blown by this Beltane season. I can't believe it is now June already! Things have been pretty busy for me, with family, pets, home and just general life occurring. I'm now in a place to actually update this blog and sort myself out!


Since my last post I’ve been to the Kent Goddess group and Glastonbury for training a few times, run my first workshop which was a success and am now making plans for future events here in Folkestone. This month is when life picks up pace and from now until the middle of September I’m off all over the place doing lots of Goddess things including heading to my first ever Goddess conference and the Merician Gathering.


Today I’m up to more mundane things, like housework. But tomorrow I have a ton of stuff to crack on with. Sorry this isn't an interesting post, but it is a promise that I am going to be blogging more and this time I mean it!!!


Love and blessings


Laura

xxxxx

A confession

I can only apologise for the two week break in my posts but I have been a victim of first world problems! With my broken iPhone, I’ve been missing being connected to friends, family and the wider world (and my games). I've been plodding along with an ancient pay as you go phone that belonged to my mum for calls and texts, but I’ve had no credit. However a few days ago our house internet was being changed by our landlord and cut me off from everyone! I have to confess that I hated every second of no internet access, but it has given me time to think.

We really are all plugged in to the internet. Even those of us who profess to be able to live without it have problems. I rely on search engines and wikipedia for a lot of my random thoughts and questions- having to call my husband to ask him for a temperature conversion was a pretty low point for me as was realising that I couldn't watch the season 4 finale of the Walking Dead! It's also impacted my social and family life and made it difficult for me to promote my business. Online craft selling is difficult when you can't get online! (The craft side of my work can be found at http://www.therainbowattic.co.uk )

No iPhone has been a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I haven't spent ages playing Hayday and Candy Crush. But on the other, I haven't been able to phone or text people when I have felt lonely and I have missed my camera immensely. I definitely need to get a decent stand alone camera, for those times when my phone is misbehaving. So there you have it, the ramble leading to my confession.

My name is Laura and I am an internet junkie.

A trip to Glastonbury!

Today my husband/chauffeur kindly drove me down to Glastonbury for circle number four of the second spiral Priestess training. We had a pretty good run down, arriving here in Glastonbury in just under 3 hours and 40 minutes. The land has been utterly covered in thick fog and a wintry chill has returned to the air.

I am being a temple melissa today, so we decided to get here nice and early. Since the traffic was so nice to us, we have time to spare and have decided to come to Chalice Well. I don't get time to come here too often due to time constraints during my training, but I always try to make the most of it when I do. It's quiet, since the well gardens have just opened and I am really enjoying having the place almost to myself. My husband has gone off for a walk, leaving me quite alone to write this blog post and to think. All the daffodils and narcissus are in bloom- gorgeous, yellow and orange trumpeters announcing the arrival of spring. Interspersed with them are some primroses and late snowdrops. The trees are greening and the other plants are starting to grow. Seeing nature come back to life after the long winter is beautiful! Unfortunately I have broken my iPhone, so I can't take any pictures. Hopefully it will be fixed soon though and picture posts will commence.

From my seat here at chalice well I can hear and see the birds. They are choosing their mates, building their nests and busying themselves with the tasks of spring. The mists of Avalon are even denser here, than the fog was on our journey down. The tor is utterly obscured and it seems apt that this has happened this weekend, when we are journeying through the mists to Avalon. The low visibility is giving a magical hue to everything. As things come into view and then disappear into the mist, it is almost as though Goddess is deciding what we can see and when.

Another exciting thing that has happened this week, is that my ticket arrived yesterday for the Goddess conference. I am being a conference melissa, which means I will be working in exchange for my ticket. It's going to be hard but incredibly worth it.

I am feeling incredibly blessed with my life right now.

Love and blessings

Laura

xxxxx

A little taste of Springtime at the beach!

The harbour at low tide

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend – I know I did! I had two fabulous days filled with fun, sun and family visiting. It is nice though, to have a nice and calm Monday! The weather has been stunning for the last few days, although it is a bit windy today. Despite having lived in various coastal towns over the last eight years, I have never actually lived so close to the sea. I rave about it all the time, to anyone who will listen, but it is really amazing. Going to the beach is now a 30 second walk from my front door!

Sun, sea and pebbles!

Today's whim has found me sitting on the pebbles, with my notepad and sketch book. I will never be a good artist, but I like to think that Goddess appreciates my efforts! There are lots of small fishing boats out and the sun is glinting off the sea in huge rays. It fills me with a real sense of pleasure and enjoyment. I will confess that I am also enjoying having 'my' beach back after sharing it with lots of random people at the weekend!!!

[Later on...]

This afternoon found me going to the doctors to get a prescription and then deciding to go to the sunny sands end of Folkestone beach. This is where I ended up going for a nice and chilly paddle in the sea. I followed this up with an ice cream!

First paddle of the year!

View looking out over Sunny Sands

Lots of love and blessings

Laura
xxxxx

Sacred sites

Pretty!

Today's walk hasn't taken me as far as I had wanted. I've been fighting a chesty cough for the last few weeks and it seems to have come back with a vengeance today. Nonetheless, since I was out on Wednesday and I didn’t get out yesterday, I decided to go out today. The weather is a little rougher than we have had the last few days – the wind is up and it is cold. I love how Goddess likes to remind us that spring hasn't quite arrived yet, no matter what we like to think when we have some sunshine!

Clouds, waves and a little bit of sun!

Since Tuesday I have been deliberating some things about my work life. It has been difficult for me to get motivated but I am finally getting there! The big realisation I have made is that there are two sides to my work life – The Rainbow Attic is my making job and therefore what I do. On the other hand, priestess work and sharing Goddess, is who I am and I need to keep that in mind. A job is a job but who you are never changes at its core. Its perfectly ok to create things or do things I don’t like or enjoy in my job, because that's kind of what jobs are.

On the other hand, facilitating Goddess events, making Goddess items and priestess-ing are a part of who I am. This is where I get to express myself in ways that I want to and that I enjoy. It is where I get to be a bit more choosy about things. This might all be quite uninteresting to most of you, but for me this was a profound moment!!!

Today's reflection has been a bit less me orientated. I am keenly interested in reclaiming and awakening ancient sites in our landscape. They need to be used and cared for and the energy and history they hold is important and amazing. However as we are all aware, they are also fragile and old. If we are not responsible and reverent in our use of them, then they will deteriorate and we might be placed in a position where we actually lose them entirely. This means not leaving litter, tea lights, candle wax, non biodegradable offerings or anything like that on or near them. It means not lighting fires wherever we choose or carving into ancient stones. When we use ancient sites, we should feel the energy, leave only biodegradable offerings on the ground near them (not on the stones themselves) and respecting the boundaries which may have been put in place. If we are sensible and respectful, then these sites will be available to our descendants, long after we are dust.

The sun came out for this one!

These thoughts lead me onto my actual reflection. On the beach here at Folkestone, we have a stone circle. It is thoroughly modern, placed here by the water company and it is utterly non religious in any way. However, if you actually come down to it and touch the stones and sit in the centre. If you stop and feel the energy for a moment, it is wonderful. I've seen the site used by Pagans, Christians and others. I have used the site myself. There is a sacred and pure energy to the place which can speak to us all. Our ancient sites where built by someone and at some point they would have been new and 'modern'. In order for there to be more ancient and sacred sites in the future, we need to make our own. I say to you all, use the local parks and stone circles made as art. Walk the labyrinth installations in parks, church yards and towns. Go to visit Northumberlandia- walk her curves, enjoy her art. Create ceremony and say prayers in these places. Call to your goddesses and gods. The energy is already there, build on it, use it, share it with all. Yes we will be judged and called names. Yes we will be mocked even by those in our own Pagan communities, but we are working with a higher purpose – we are creating sacred sites for the future. We are using the tools of our time to commune with our deities, spirits and ancestors. I don't know about you all, but I would rather have their opinion than that of my fellow humans, on the topic of my spiritual practises...

Go on, give it is a try – you might be surprised!

Love and blessings

Laura

xxxx

Folkestone labyrinth

Today I went for my usual walk along the seafront but due to leaving my wellies in the car (which are now at work with my husband!) I veered off my usual route along the tide line. I wandered my way along the promenade and made my way up to the labyrinth at the end of the coastal park.

View up the promenade

 I count my blessings everyday that I have such beautiful and energetic places literally right on my doorstep.

Despite the definite chill in the air, the weather today is stunning. The sky is bright blue and there's hardly a cloud in the sky. The sun is full and warming and I feel like spring is finally on the way. Daffodils and crocuses are everywhere and there are pairs of birds building needs and singing to each other. A bonus sighting was a squirrel!

See how lovely the day is!

Folkestone Labyrinth with the sea in the background!

Folkestone's labyrinth is an art installation designed and created by Clare Danstead for Shepway District council in 2008. Don't let its modern origins dissuade you from making a visit- it is small but beautiful and it has a really lovely energy to it. It has been well used and is in a visually gorgeous location. There is also parking nearby. In better weather I hope to walk it barefoot, but today it's just my trusty trainers and I. Walking labyrinths is something I really love to do, be they large or small. The intentional repetition is very soothing and I like the physical action of walking inwards, shedding things which no longer serve us as you approach each level. It is a humbling and cleansing experience. After spending some time in the centre, I retraced my steps to exit. Again I really enjoy the feeling as you walk out, opening back up and taking up things which will serve and make us stronger.

Every labyrinth experience is different. Sometimes I have been left feeling raw and vulnerable, but on other occasions I have felt free and joyous. Today's experience has left me feeling energised and motivated – something I definitely need at the moment! I plans in the future to either use this labyrinth for a ceremony or find a large, indoor space to create a larger and intricate design. It's very exciting making plans!

I hope you all have a fabulous day.

Sending lots of love and blessings to you all

Laura

xxxxx

Introductions

Welcome to my blog! I'm glad that you have found me and I hope you will find something of interest to you here. I'd like to introduce myself and what this blog is going to be about.


My name is Laura Slowe and I am a sister of Avalon and trainee Priestess of the Goddess living in Folkestone, Kent. I was drawn to the Avalon tradition and the Lady of Avalon through the writings of Kathy Jones, a wonderful experience at the Glastonbury Goddess Temple and of course, a deep heart connection to the Goddess in all Her forms, but especially the Lady of Avalon.


Although my heart is in Avalon, my physical body cannot always be there. Therefore, I have decided to help bring the love and worship of the Lady of Avalon and Goddess in all Her fullness here to my home county of Kent.


For those of you who do not know, the Lady of Avalon (also known as Nolava) is the Goddess of the Isle of Avalon, who is embodied in the landscape and energy surrounding Glastonbury. She is in everyone and everything. Within the wheel of the year She is all Goddesses and all seasons. Alongside my work with Nolava, I also work with Goddess in Her archetypes as Maiden, Lover, Mother and Crone; as Mother of Fire, Water, Earth and Air; and I sometimes work with Goddesses from other lands too. Most recently these goddesses have included Kuan Yin and Hél.


Within this blog I will be sharing my experiences of my work with Her and with all Goddesses. I will also be reviewing books I have read, sharing websites I have come across and anything Goddess related in my life.


In addition to my work with Goddess, I am also a crafter and I love to crochet and make things. Hopefully you will enjoy seeing the items I have made and that might even entice you to my shop ;-) I should also warn you that I adore animals, especially my pet rats and there will be lots of photos that I will be sharing with you all.


Thank you for finding this blog and my website. I hope that you will find something here to inspire you.


Love and blessings


Laura