F is for Familiar and Free Will

Welcome to Frankly Scarlett's April A to Z Blog Challenge.

This year my theme is A Goddess' Glossary and we are looking at terms utilized by Goddesses, Priestesses, Shamans and Witches. These are terms that might occur in my new fantasy series, Paisley Cove.

F is for Familiar and Free Will

A familiar for our purposes is a spirit who aids a witch and is usually in the form of an animal. Hollywood and books tend to portray a familiar as a cat, because I suppose a talking cat is much easier to work into a screenshot than more exotic animals. Many report their familiars being anything from a specific bird to a dolphin. 

Free Will has an important role in both mainstream religions and in alternate spirituality. While mainstream Christianity recognizes that God has granted us free will, for the witch, it's a requirement to consider all interested party's free will before beginning to attempt to alter energies. For instance, a real witch would never cast a spell to cause someone to fall in love with another, because that interferes with the person's free will. 

Phoebe will learn how difficult it is to manipulate energies for the purpose of her own desires without interfering with the free will of someone else. 

Tomorrow we talk about Goddesses.

~*~
Scarlett,
  Loving life in Cuenca!

E is for Elementals and Energy

Welcome to Frankly Scarlett's April A to Z Blog Challenge.

This year my theme is A Goddess' Glossary and we are looking at terms utilized by Goddesses, Priestesses, Shamans and Witches. These are terms that might occur in my new fantasy series, Paisley Cove.

E is for Elementals and Energy

Anyone who has every watched a fantasy series, read a fantasy book, or studied witchcraft or pagan beliefs knows the elementals are Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Spirit. 

Some Shamanic practices honor the above (spirit) and the below. Below is not considered hell, it's another dimension. 

All of the practices, at least anything that falls within shamanic and/or pagan practices focus on energy. Energy, of course, is all around us, it emanates from anything that is living, all organic matter. Some practices believe that one can alter how energy reacts in situations, what some might call witchcraft or spellwork. 

Our character Phoebe will learn that there is no such thing as wiggling a nose to power the vacuum cleaner and a nod of the head can't transport you to another place or time. But, with practice and intention, one might be able to alter the paths of some energies.

Join me tomorrow as we explore F is for Familiar and Free Will. 

~*~
Scarlett,
  Loving life in Cuenca!

D is for Divine Feminine

Welcome to Frankly Scarlett's April A to Z Blog Challenge.

This year my theme is A Goddess' Glossary and we are looking at terms utilized by Goddesses, Priestesses, Shamans and Witches. These are terms that might occur in my new fantasy series, Paisley Cove.

D is for Divine Feminine

There is much written about the Divine Feminine. But today, I'm posting in my own words as I understand the concept of the Divine Feminine and my particular choice of belief. 

Some view the Divine Feminine as that God is neither male or female but embodies both and by honoring the feminine that person is recognizing that there is both a divine masculine and divine feminine, each responsible for the balance in the world. The Yin and the Yang. 

Others envision one or more of the following as the Divine Feminine: The Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Mother Nature. 

Many recognize that the Divine Feminine is the giver of all life, hence she is most often portrayed with a swollen belly signifying pregnancy.

In the Paisley Cove series, Phoebe learns about the various beliefs surrounding the divine feminine and how to honor her.

Come back tomorrow for E is for Elementals and Energy

~*~
Scarlett,
  Loving life in Cuenca!

C is for Charm

Welcome to Frankly Scarlett's April A to Z Blog Challenge.

This year my theme is A Goddess' Glossary and we are looking at terms utilized by Goddesses, Priestesses, Shamans and Witches. These are terms that might occur in my new fantasy series, Paisley Cove.

C is for Charm

The dictionary defines Charm as the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration, a small ornament worn on a necklace or bracelet, delight greatly, or control or achieve by or as if by magic.

Phoebe begins to wonder if The Charm of Paisley Cove is because it's a beautiful delightful place, or if there might be something more mysterious about this place.

Come back tomorrow for a discussion about D is for Divine Feminine.

~*~
Scarlett,
  Loving life in Cuenca!

B is for Bard

Welcome to Frankly Scarlett's April A to Z Blog Challenge.

This year my theme is A Goddess' Glossary and we are looking at terms utilized by Goddesses, Priestesses, Shamans and Witches. These are terms that might occur in my new fantasy series, Paisley Cove.

B is for Bard

In medieval Gaelic and British culture, a bard was a professional story teller, verse-maker and music composer, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or noble), to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.

William Shakespeare is known as the Bard of Avon and William Wordsworth is known as the Bard of Rydal Mount.

In the new novel, coming soon, The Charm Of Paisley Cove, our main character Phoebe, escapes her mundane life to spend three months at an East coast writer's retreat called, Paisley Cove. Phoebe's hope is to unearth the best-selling author she thinks was buried within her at the age of sixteen, following the death of her father.

Come back tomorrow for C is for Charm.

~*~
Scarlett Loving life in Cuenca!