Celebration of Kwanzaa

Our family has never celebrated Kwanzaa, this is something that I have always associated with strong Afrocentrism, something we are not here in this family.  But after getting some prompts from others in the African American Wiccan community, I decided to do a little research and I found something that I am considering researching further.  Here is what I found.

Seven days of observation starting the 26th of the month and each day stands for one of the following.

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Many changes, many options for growth

This year has been challenging for many people and a lot of us are hopeful that the coming year will be a new opportunity for growth and balance. The energy of this past year has been filled with abrupt changes and now we are hopefully moving to a point, energetically, that will have a little more stability and allow everyone time to level out some. Since the coming year breaks down to a 4, numerology suggests that it is going to be a year that offers just that.

As the family closes this year we look back on a lot of up and down accomplishments amongst the members. In good news, some of the members are still in College, others are actively pursuing creative ventures, several have obtained degree marked elevations and several of us had the opportunity to meet at Pantheacon in February.

Throughout the challenges of the year, we have still seen some growth and a lot of shadow work being done amongst many of us.

My goals with FRP for the coming year include being able to support completion of degrees for some that have been working at it for a long time and creating a solid base and connection among us all.

The family of the rising phoenix wishes everyone a blessed season and a wishful close to the passing 2010 year. May you continue to find peace in closure and look towards manifesting your coming desires.

Blessed Samhain and happy bday mom

Samhain was challenging and freeing at the same time this year.  It is the first Samhain and halloween without my mom here, a challenge in and of itself.  I had a great ritual with friends in the local coven and then halloween was filled with setting things up and preparing the kids with going out to trick or treat.  I stayed home to pass out candy, usually what my mom did, while Jon took the kids out with their costumes.  

This year it was a good balance and we were able to pull it off.  The kids came home excited and we all sang happy birthday to my mom.  Robert did well.  He said to the sky, "Grandma, I miss you and will never forget you".  it was hard to hold it back but I think I did well.

So now that we got through that holiday and now we are going to have to prepare for thanksgiving and trying to create new traditions while balancing the old...without her.

May all of your Samhain celebrations be filled with family and love.  Commune with your loved ones who have passed on and always remember you are still here for a reason.  

Blessed Be!!

Ancestor month, celebration of death

This month is challenging for us. Although it is one of the families favorite Sabbats, halloween is also my mom's birthday so we are balancing the excitement of the holiday with the stress of our lives now and the loss of my mom. We have our ancestor altar set up and are lighting the candles almost everyday in honor.

Today we went out and got Roberts mask for his costume. Tomorrow Jon plans on getting the costumes for Adrian and Sissy. Adrian wants to be the hulk or spider man. That seems easy enough.

Other than that, the book is out. I am trying to find a way to do active promotion and keep my sanity while balancing all the other responsibilities and pressure. We shall see how it pans out.

Blessed Samhain to one and all.

Standing alone and leaving the nest

Many things have changed in 2010, actually starting in 2009. One of the things that has been a big change has been around FWTI, or Family Wiccan Tradition International. After the illness of Lydia, she took a leave of absence that then turned into a permanent leave. Many things happened through the various transitions, including the continued decline of active membership and energy coming in to sustain the organization.

With that said, the board of FWTI has decided to close it's doors and we are looking to set a end date very soon. Rising Phoenix is not closing down but we will no longer be under the umbrella of FWTI and will be flying solo as a tradition and family coven that continues to train people.

I am sad to see FWTI go but I am looking forward to funneling the energy that has been going to FWTI and back into Rising Phoenix.

I will keep things updated as we move closer and more development around changes withing FRP manifest.

Blessed Be and Blessed Summer!!

The Phoenix is still burning

More changes have continued to surface and things are continuing to change for the FRP family. Official announcements pending, FRP is continuing to work for more stability on the path that the Gods have put us all on. As things manifest, I will keep this blog posted and up to date as much as I can.

Other than that, mother's day was very emotional and challenging for many of us on the home front. I miss my mother greatly and know that only time will support some of the healing that needs to take place. Re-establishing a pattern for practicing within the home with the two young additions to the family and without my mom. This is going to be a delicate balance but one that will be crucial to the sustainability of the spiritual aspect of the unit.

Solstice is coming up and I would like to have a nice plan in place for the family. That will be one of the things I am going to work on.

as a last note for now, I want to welcome Heather back to the family as she has just recently signed on to FRP to continue her training. Welcome home!

New information on the site

Blogger has changed a lot of it's capabilities to catch up with some of the other blog site options, like word press. One of the changes is the ability to add pages to the site. So I am going to be working on that for the next couple of days, adding static pages for the virtues, mission statement, FWTI information and other tradition/FC information.

Stay tuned to some fun changes!!

Forward movement

The family is hanging tough.  Things are hard and will be for a while but we are walking this path together and supporting eachother along the way.  It is amazing how we have gotten so much incredible support from some of our friends and family. 

Everyone else in the family coven is growing during these times too.  I have been really excited to see some of the strides that everyone is making in their spiritual growth.  One of our FC members reached out to her mother and came out of the broom closet, fearing that it would be a problem.  To our amazement her mom came back with the most loving message ever.  This was such a great experience for me.  It was one of those moments where I was able to reflect on the special relationship with my mother and how special that bond can be.

As life is moving forward, we are learning to live throughout the chaos of loss.  I am also able to see how this has ripples energetically to those in the FC and am grateful that they are handling their business and moving forward with whatever it is they need for themselves too.

The Gods are walking this path with us all.

Elevation rituals for both Michael and Jenna

The Sunday of Pantheacon we gathered in the hotel room and did the elevation ritual for Jenna's first degree. A well deserved elevation and one that I was very excited to do. She was wonderful and Michael, Kathryn, Hoi Sum, Jade and I were able to lend energy to the transition.

The Wednesday after Pantheacon I did a third degree ritual for Michael reinitiating him under Rising Phoenix. Michael already earned and received his 3rd degree with Dragonstone as well and this initiation was an acceptance of his position in FWTI and within our FC as well as Dragonstone. It was an honor to do this ceremony for Michael.

Upcoming elevations are for Kathryn to the third and for Tricia to her Second. I am also pulling for janet to get hers very soon and Danielle is waiting in the wings.

It is exciting to see everyone moving forward in their studies and taking care of themselves spiritually.

Blessed Be everyone!

Changes and sadness

FRP has suffered a huge loss this year.  My mother was tragically burned in a kitchen fire on January 13th.  She was cooking for the kids when her shirt caught on fire.  She suffered second and third degree burns on 35% of her body.  Sadly she passed away on January 29th and transitioned to her resting place.  As you can imagine, we have been dealing with grief and extreme sadness as a result. 

As with the Phoenix, she met the end of this life in the fires of resurrection to be reborn anew.  As sad as we are, we are not without hope that she is preparing for her next adventure.  Sadness cannot take away our faith in this moment. 

We send love and support to her in her journey, knowing that we will be ok eventually...... yet missing her always.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout this time and may you all have the blessings you seek.